Love Story
by FaerieTales4ever
Summary: Regina is the adopted daughter of the Dark One. Emma is the heir to the Weissland throne. When the two meet at a Emma's coming out ball, sparks start flying. But Emma's parents are fearful and determined to keep them apart. Will True Love conquer all? #SwanQueen Co-authored with ooncer! Inspired by an awesome youtube video! Link on my profile!
1. A New Life

**A/N: My first real SwanQueen story, a bit slkow burn at the beginning but by chap 3, we'll be in the tick of it! Having aTON of fun writing this with my good friend ooncer, so I hope you enjoy!**

**Summary: **Regina is the adopted daughter of the Dark One. Emma is the heir to the White throne. When the two meet at a wedding, sparks start flying. But Emma's parents are fearful and determined to keep them apart, refusing to see past Regina's fearsome reputation. Will True Love conquer all? #SwanQueen Co-authored with ooncer! Inspired by this awesome youtube video! watch?v=eZR-9-SNHBg

**Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show.**

Love Story

by: FaerieTales4ever and ooncer

**1**

**A New Life**

Regina stared at the precarious inscription scrawled in rushed but elegant hand on the interior of her mother's book. Her hands shook and her palms were clammy enough that if she loosened her grip by the slightest bit, she felt the precious text might slip from her fingers. What was she thinking? This was the very instrument that had taught her mother the Dark Arts of magic wielding, and in turn twisted her into the vile, suffocating woman she was today,rather than the simple miller's daughter Regina's father had married so long ago.

That girl was naught but a legend now, replaced by a blackhearted sorceress who cared for nothing but power.

Several times, Regina had thought about throwing the mocking little talisman far away, knowing full well that if a _book _had changed her mother so profoundly, then the man who gave it to her had to be the darkest imp in all of the realms. Summoning him was like asking for a death sentence.

But what other choice did she have? Her wedding to the king was tomorrow and if she didn't do something now, she would be forever doomed to live her life as a porcelain doll. Her only job to stand there and obey orders while suffocating under her mother's vengeful, oppressive hand.

Regina sighed, there was no other option. Squaring her shoulders and gathering her courage, she squinted at the faded inscription on the withering parchment and attempted to summon her mother's mysterious teacher. "Rumplesh... Stilts... Rumpleschtiltskin, I summon thee."

Regina jumped a bit as a puff of purple smoke popped behind her, billowing away to reveal...well, she wasn't sure _what _this creature was that had miraculously appeared beside her chaise lounge. At first glimpse, with reptilian skin and covered from head to toe in dark leather, it seemed to Regina to be some sort of animal. But as his impishly mysterious voice rang out around the bedroom, her curiosity grew.

"That's not how you say it, dearie, but then... You didn't _have_ to say anything." Both the high pitched tone and think, roguish accent of that voice were unfamiliar and the raven-haired maiden cautiously stepped across the room for a better view of the intruder. Heart pounding in her chest, Regina drew a hand up to her stomach to steady the butterflies that fluttered within and swallowed, studying the strange creature more closely.

A crop of dark hair hung limply, framing a face with alarmingly human features, apart from the scaly skin, which seemed almost to shimmer in the pale moonlight. It certainly appeared to forego social customs as it lay boldly on the young woman's chaise, exuding an arrogance that surpassed even her mother's, hands raised with gloved fingers touching at the tips.

"_What_ are you?" Regina asked, releasing a nervous breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and peering at the creature before her.

The imp arched an eyebrow and gasped, hand over his chest, pretending to be deeply offended, "What? What? _What_?" he mocked her, scanning her up and down like a predator surveying his prey. "My, my, what a rude question," he admonished, "_I_ am not a what."

Regina flushed, suddenly embarrassed. She watched the man as he circled her, noticing that each of his movements were flourished and precise. All at once, she wasn't afraid. This man wouldn't hurt her, no matter what his reptilian appearance suggested. He was far too animated now, far too cordial. If he had the intent to harm her, surely he would not provoke the demeanor of an exaggerated cartoon. "Sorry," she apologized, fiddling absentmindedly with the golden pendant around her neck, "I don't really know what I'm doing."

"That much is clear," the curious man muttered under his breath as he drew himself up to his full height, preparing for the elaborate introduction. "Allow me to introduce myself," he began, spreading his arms wide and bending his knee in a mock bow, "Rrrrumplestiltskin." He rolled the letter in an ostentatious fashion and Regina hid her laugh behind her hand.

Then she proceeded to copy him and bent down in an embellished courtesy, "And I'm-"

"Regina." he supplied, stopping her, "I know."

The princess raised an eyebrow and her eyes widened slightly, "You do?"

"But of course," the sorcerer snorted, as if speaking to a small child.

Regina sighed, "Because of my mother, Cora. You taught her?"

Rumplestiltskin giggled and grinned, "My legend precedes me," he affirmed.

The princess groaned inwardly. So he _was _as arrogant as she thought. Great. Just great, she inwardly groaned. Aloud she just said_, _"People say I look like her when she was younger."

"Really?" he queried. With narrowing eyes, the imp studied Regina's features. The arched brows, the long dark eyelashes, the slight curve of her nose and those pouting lips which were undeniably Cora's. "I don't see it," he responded with a distasteful expression and a shake of his head. "No, that's not how I know you."

"Oh?" she asked, surprised that someone actually acknowledged her as a person as opposed to a simple extension of her better known mother, "How then?"

The imp laughed in that high-pitched, nasally tone of his and his eyes glinted mischievously. Regina fought to suppress the urge to shiver under his watchful gaze, "I knew you long ago, dearie. It's been some time, but I knew this day would come. I've been waiting for it. And I'm so happy we're back where we belong."

"Where's that?" she asked, her voice trembling a bit.

The little man inched closer to her and his scaly hand caressed her cheek before she could shrink away from the strange, textured feeling of his touch, "_Together_." he hissed; and Regina couldn't tell if his tone was affectionate or possessive.

Subconsciously, the young girl gasped in slight horror and shifted away slightly, creating a small gap between them as she cleared her throat. "You must be mistaken!" she rasped, shocked by his response, "We can't be destined to be _together;_ I, I don't even know you!"

Rumplestiltskin's chilled laughter thrilled through her chambers and he hid an impossibly wide grin behind his hand. "My, my, dearie, presumptuous little thing. aren't we? I didn't say we were meant to be together like _that_," he scoffed, "What _ever _gave you _that _ridiculous notion?"

Regina's cheeks flamed, "Well I...I mean, I just assumed, because of my mother…"

"Oh dearie, dear, dear," he shook his head and wagged a finger in front of her nose, "Never assume. Especially with ideas of affection from someone you know nothing about."

Regina stepped a slight bit closer to him, "Then...you _don't _wish to…?"

The imp looked appalled at the very mention of such a thought, "Dearie I am _centuries _older than you and you are but a wee lass to me. I'd _never _violate a woman that way, and _certainly _never harm a child as such! No Regina, I'm not here to torture you, but to help you.

Regina's shoulders sagged in relief, but her mind still whirled with curiosity, "So...You know…what my mother did?"

Rumple shook his head sadly, "Indeed I do my dear. And, as dark as I may be, _that _is also a line I would never cross."

"So… you'll teach me?" she queried with an air of caution, as though she was unsure what she wanted his response to be.

The imp bowed from the waist once more and with a flurry of his hand, replied, "I will offer you a choice."

"A choice?" she asked, her brows furrowing, "Of what nature?"

"I can teach you the Dark Arts, if that is truly what you wish. You can be rid of your mother _and _have your revenge on that sweet, innocent princess you believe yourself to loathe…but I must warn you, the price for your vengeance will be a long road of hatred and heartache. "

"Or…?" she asked, knowing of his gift of sight and not liking how that sounded. Yes, she wanted revenge against Leopold's precious Red Rose for divulging her secret, but was it worth a life of misery?

"_Or_…" the imp continued, "I can offer you a home with me. A chance to start over and have a new life as my apprentice and chatelaine in the Dark Castle."

Regina narrowed her eyes, the offer sounded too good to be true, "And what price would that cost?" she wondered skeptically.

Rumplestiltskin smiled ruefully, "You would simply have to care for my estate. Keep the castle clean, and be a caretaker and playmate to my young son Baelfire. In return I shall give you freedom to do as you wish, and train you in Light Magic."

"_You _know Light Magic?" she asked skeptically.

"I am more than I appear dearie," Rumple smiled, "But I shall only explain if you take my deal." With that, a glittering gold contract and bright red feathered quill appeared in his hands. He offered them to the princess, "What do you say?"

Regina took a wordless moment to consider this offer. Of course she wanted to learn magic for one reason and one alone; to give that sickening little princess her comeuppance. And yet… Would that matter at all if she ended up a slave to a darkened and empty heart? Wouldn't it be better to leave this wretched castle and her twisted mother behind and start fresh with a mentor who could teach her something _good_? For a fleeting moment, a life without Cora flashed before her eyes. A life of her own. A life of freedom. A life of, she hoped, _love_. He was offering her a second chance, she just had to take it. A smile slowly crept on her face and she suddenly knew what her answer was going to be. She cleared her throat and uttered a quiet syllable. "Yes."

Rumplestiltskin's left eyebrow raised and he tilted his head to one side. "Yes? Yes to what, dearie?"

"Yes, I'll… I'll come with you." She breathed a sigh of relief and hoped this decision was going to turn out to be the right one.

A broad, twinkling grinn adorned the imp's face and Regina was surprised to see he looked almost friendly. Recalling the stories she had heard, mostly from her mother, she realized that perhaps this man wasn't as fearsome as people had led her to believe.

"Well then, my dear," he interrupted her thoughts, "you'd better pack up your things. We have a long journey ahead of us." Regina didn't notice the playful gleam in his eyes that indicated the journey wouldn't be nearly as long as she expected.

After the young brunette had filled a trunk with more dresses than even Rumplestiltskin had ever seen, she closed it and flipped the catch. Her room was now bare; the dresser had been cleared of all her jewelry and various trinkets, her closet was empty, and the pictures had been taken out of their frames and rolled up to fit in the last of Regina's three trunks. All that was left of her queenly chambers was the plush furniture. Regina looked around one last time before she picked up the two lighter chests, attempting to push the last one with only the force of her body.

"Is...the carriage...far?" she panted, sweat beading her forehead as she shoved her body weight into the trunk, glaring at her new guardian when he simply laughed at her predicament.

"Dearie, I know for a fact that you're stronger than you look; but isn't that a bit of a load; even for you?"

"You could help you know!" she snapped, "Do you expect me to get all of this out of the castle myself?"

"Oh, there's no need for dramatics dearie. We won't be needing to move anything outside."

"Wh-Wha-" Regina huffed.. But before she could say another word, Rumple snapped his fingers and purple smoke engulfed them and sent Regina's stomach churning violently.

* * *

Next thing she knew, they were standing in the Great Hall of the Dark Castle, its splendor far outweighing anything her mother had described. Regina, however, didn't have time to marvel at its magnificence before she keeled over onto her knees and began retching on the polished hardwood. A metal bucket appeared in front of her just in time.

"Not on the oak dearie, I just buffed it." her new mentor chided.

Regina glowered at him, "You...ack...couldn't have...given me….ack...a warning? I probably didn't even have to pack!" she huffed as she slowly began to recover from her bout of nausea.

Rumplestiltskin just giggled, "It was too fun to watch a princess do manual labor," he smirked.

"You imp! If I wasn't so ill right now I'd-"

"Papa, is that you?!" a voice floated through the castle.

"Yes, Bae." Rumple called, "I'm home!"

Regina heard the unmistakable whoop of a young boy ring through the hall from the other room.

She also swore she heard voices whispering "The Master's home, the Master's home!"

She cocked her head, trying to locate the source of the sound. Were there other apprentices in the castle? As far as she knew, only the one who possessed the Dark One's dagger had ever lived in the castle, well, and their offspring apparently. It, like the curse, was passed down along with the dagger. According to the stories, the castle was meant to be a sort of competence for taking the curse. And yet, the princess swore she heard other voices- though the only person Rumple had mentioned living there beside himself was his son. Before she could question her new gaurdian about this, a mass of lanky arms and legs almost bowled Rumple over.

Regina smiled, watching the boy's mass of unkempt hair tangle amongst his father's as they embraced. She felt a slight pang of envy. This, she supposed, was the kind of relationship normal parents had with their children.

"I thought I heard you," remarked Baelfire excitedly as he pulled away from his father and turned his eyes towards the young woman before him. "Oh… er… hi," he muttered, suddenly shy.

"Son, this is Regina. She's going to be staying with us for a while," explained his father. Regina couldn't help but notice the kindness in his voice as he addressed the boy and how his features softened towards him. It appeared this man had many sides, and some of them were reserved for family only.

"Nice to meet you, Baelfire." she smiled shyly. The boy was only a few years younger than she.

"Are you...are you going to be my new governess?" he asked, glancing with a mix of distaste and uncertainty between the brunette and his father.

"Well I, uh…" Regina shifted uncomfortably and locked eyes with her mentor. She wasn't exactly sure yet _what _she was supposed to be doing.

"Because I'm 10 years old now, older if you count my time on Neverland, I don't need a governess," he continued pointedly.

"Bae!" his father objected, "Give Regina a chance to breathe! Yes, I brought her here to care for you, but more so because she needed my help. You see she-"

"_She _needed your help?" his son interrupted, "But she's a _princess_! What could _she _want we _us?" _he sniffed arrogently, upset that his father had brought home yet another uninvited guest, and a snobby looking princess at that, without telling him.

"Baelfire Gold, mind your manners!" Rumple scolded sternly.

His son dropped his gaze and mumbled, "Sorry, Papa," to his shoes.

"That's better. Now, would you like to say hello properly this time?" he asked, raising a pointed eyebrow.

The boy continued to fiddle with the cuffs of his long-sleeved shirt, but his eyes darted up at Regina as he said, "Hello, it's nice to meet you."

Regina smiled and bent down a bit so she was closer to eye level with him, "It's ok Bae. I understand why you're nervous and I have no intention of becoming your new mother or anything if that's what you're afraid of," she laughed and the boy blushed, ashamed to reveal that had been exactly what he was thinking. "But I do hope," continued the new houseguest, "that if not right away, at least eventually, we can be friends."

From beneath his long crop of dark hair, a small smile crept onto Bae's face as he realized that, given time, a youthful ally could be just what he needed. He nodded before finding his voice, "I'm older than I look, you know, so I've been without a mother for a long time. I've been in Neverland, where growing up is… frowned upon."

"Neverland?" Regina breathed in disbelief. She'd heard of the place in stories growing up but never imagined it actually existed. She looked questioningly at Rumple, wondering if this was a strange, imaginative story. Surely he couldn't really have gone to Neverland, also known to the Enchanted Forest as the Land of Dreams, could he?

The older man nodded in validation before Bae continued,"Yep," replied the boy, "But it's not what you think." he cautioned, with a grim edge to his voice.

"It's not?" Regina asked. She'd always heard it was a magical fantasy where all you had to do was wish for something, and it came true.

"No. See, I didn't _choose_ to go there. I was taken by Peter Pan's shadow."

"Peter Pan's _shadow?" _Regina repeated incredulously.

"He only takes boys," Bae informed her, "A land with no grown ups _sounds_ like fun, but I missed my Papa and the other boys were mean sometimes."

"They weren't just mean dearie," Rumple interrupted, "They were ruthless."

Regina sucked in her breath, "Really?"

"Aye, they were. Pan is _not _the nice boy you read about in books. He's a vicious soul; traded his own son for eternal youth, and uses the energy of those poor boys he captures to stay immortal."

"No!" Regina sucked in her breath in terror.

"Oh yes. I had to travel many realms before I finally found my way to Bae. I'd been headed to his camp where he'd been drafted for the second Ogre Wars, but the Shadow got him just before I did. It was centuries before I found him again."

Regina's eyes widened with fear and she had a newfound respect for her guardian, "Is- is that when you took the curse?" she asked, "To save him?

"Uh uh," Bae piped in shaking his head, "Paoa took the curse a long time ago, right after Mama left us for that bastard pirate!" he clenched his fists at his sides as anger boiled in him, as it always did when he thought about the mother he never knew.

"Baelfire! Watch your mouth! Or must I get the Ivory?"

The Dark One's son bit his lip and shook his head frantically, "No, Papa."

Regina's gaze filled with sympathy, "Your wife left you?" she asked Rumple.

The imp nodded his head sadly, "Indeed. I injured myself in the first Ogre Wars as soon as I learned she was pregnant; I didn't want to risk dying and leaving my son fatherless as I had been. I thought…I thought Milah would be happy to see me, to know what I did for our family," he looked away. "But instead... she labeled me the village coward."

"You're NOT a coward Papa, she is!" Bae screamed angrily. His father smiled and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"When Bae was born," Rumple continued, "He developed a severe case of Yellow Fever, and the doctors said he wouldn't live much longer. And no one wanted to help the village coward."

"Oh no!" Regina gasped.

"Milah was fed up with me by then, said she wasn't going to stand living with a cripple _and _a sickling. Ran off first chance she got with some swaggering pirate that had made port by the ocean near out village for the night. Never saw her again."

"I'm sorry…" Regina whispered, only just now coming to realize how much more there was to the Dark One than everyone thought.

"We're better off without that ho!" Bae seethed. His father glared at him and he promptly clamped his lips shut before mumbling, "Well...we are!" out of the side of his mouth.

Rumple just shook his head ruefully before continuing, "An old man told me he knew of a dagger, and that if I killed the Dark One with it, I would have the power to save my son…He didn't tell me that magic's price meant _I _would then become the one everyone most feared, or that _he _was indeed the Dark One I had to kill. By then I was so desperate to save Bae, I would've done anything."

Regina didn't know what to say. The legend of The Dark One was infamous. If there was one enemy she had been taught to avoid at all costs, it was him. She had never considered that there would be more to the man behind the dagger, and she felt ashamed that she had made such startling assumptions without even knowing about his past. Before she had a chance to respond, however, Rumple spoke again.

"Anyway, the past is the past and it really doesn't matter now. We'll discuss your duties and lessons and such more in the morning. For now, it's been a long night and I'm sure you want to rest. Bae, please show Regina to one of the bedrooms in the South Wing."

Regina was surprised at how quickly her new guardian seemed eager to change topics, brushing by such startling events as if they were nothing. But she knew from experience this wasn't the time to pry. They'd only just met and already she knew so much more about him than she expected. So she took his cue and smiled at Bae.

"Sure, Papa," the boy replied, looking towards Regina's heavy luggage with a gulp. "Uh, I don't know if I can manage those though," he admitted, pointing at the three trunks.

"Not to worry," Rumple smiled with a flick of his wrist, "They're already there," and sure enough, the princess' possessions had vanished, leaving a now empty patch of dark, freshly polished floor.

"C'mon Regina," Bae called as he began to ascend the large,marble staircase and she followed him obediently, eyes still on the spot where, until a moment ago, her luggage stood.


	2. Enchanted Castle

**A/N: Enjoy chap 2 dearies!**

******Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show. **

**2**

**Enchanted Castle **

"Here we are Regina," Bae said, stepping off the landing at the top of the grand staircase and walking a short distance down the long hall. Regina gazed around in amazement. She was used to the never-ending hallways from her own castle, but this was different. Instead of knights clad in silver armor and holding their swords unsheathed across their chests, ready to protect their masters from danger, fearsome painted stone griffins lined the pathway to her room. They sat proudly; feathery chests puffed out and pointed beaks tilted upward toward the ceiling. But their eyes were slightly menacing, scrunched together and trained unblinkingly on the newcomer. Their talons were long and partially curled up, as if they could strike at any moment, and Regina shivered with the feeling that they were following her.

And then there were the tapestries. Every few feet, a new decoration lined the wall, each one sewn more expertly than the last. One in particular caught her eye; of a carefree woman and a man whom she could only assume to be young Rumplestiltskin, riding together on the back of a majestic white horse.

Regina wandered closer and ran her hands along the tightly twined knots of fabric. Suddenly, she felt the tapestry move beneath her fingers. She sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly before looking back at the picture. But her eyes hadn't fooled her; the picture was indeed _moving_. The horse's mane appeared to be billowing in the wind, and the leaves on the trees swayed, it's hooves drummed in place against the path, kicking up dust. The woman's eyes sparkled as she threw her head back and laughed, leaning into the younger Rumple. Regina gasped, her hands shaking. The woman looked almost like….her mother, but…happy. "B-Bae?" she stuttered, trying to make sense of what was right in front of her.

"Is something wrong Regina?" he asked, noticing the fearful edge to her voice.

Pointing with a trembling finger, she asked, "D- do you see what I see?"

The boy's brow furrowed, but his lips curled into a slow smile when he realized what his new guest meant. "Oh, you mean the tapestries?" Papa made those a long time ago; he hung them up, and once they became a part of the castle, they enchanted themselves."

Regina's eyes widened, "Really?"

Bae shook his head, "Yep. The first Dark One enchanted the entire castle centuries ago, and all the servants of the royal family became objects in the castle."

"Oh, that's…that's horrible! Why would anyone do such a thing?"

Rumple's son shrugged, "Not all the Dark Ones were like my father. Most enjoyed causing others misery, but not Papa. He takes good care of everyone here, and the staff has almost become our extended family."

Regina smiled at that, "Yes, I see that. I have to say, I never expected the Dark One to be so, well…"

"Loving?" Bae suggested and Regina looked down sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly,

But the boy simply shook his head, "It's alright, it's nothing I haven't heard before." He let out a breath before continuing, "To most people, my father is just The Dark One, like the others before him. No one considers he might also be a person; and why would they, given what the others have been like?"

"Still," Regina insisted, "people shouldn't judge your father because of what others were before him; myself included. Trust me, I know."

Bae sighed, "You're right, they shouldn't, but they do. I'm just glad at least one other person can get the opportunity to see him the way I do." A hesitant smile played on his lips as he glanced up at her to indicate who he meant.

Regina smiled sweetly, a little taken aback by the boy's reference, "I'm glad to have the chance," she said sincerely, and the boy's smile widened a bit.

Finally, Bae stopped and opened a door at the end of the hall. "Here's your room, I'm down the hall, and if you need anything, ring the bell next to your door and someone will come and help you." he grinned shyly, "Night Regina."

"Night Bae," Regina waved back, "and thank you."

* * *

Regina cautiously turned the knob on her door and stepped inside; taking in her new surroundings. The room was smaller than her old one, but she liked it that way; it felt...cozy somehow. A bed with a quilted headboard and footboard and was cloaked in sheets of royal purple was pressed along the back wall. A full length mirror stood next to a wardrobe along the wall to the right opposite of the bed, and a dresser sat op against the left wall. A large window looked out over the extensive gardens.

Regina opened the trunk at the foot of her bed and pulled on her night gown before slipping between the covers, As she leaned back, a loud _Hissss _startled her and she bolted upright, glancing behind her to see a small striped pillow that she never noticed before.

"_Merroooww" _it seethed angrily, arching its back, "Owww, you _sat _on my back! Mean ol'lady!" Regina jumped out of the bed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Oh I- You're a, you're a-"

"A cat!" the little pillow huffed, "And I am _not _to be used as a _pillow_."

"B- but- you _look _like a pillow."

"Hmmph," it said, turning around so that it was facing the other way, "You's mean!" it chirpped.

"But I-"

"Aww, don'tcha be minding little Sophie, baby. She's just a kitten and can be a bit temperamental," a southern accent drawled.

Regina's head whipped around to face her wardrobe, which had suddenly been given eyes and a mouth.

"A little brat, she iz, zhat iz what I say," huffed a brown and black feather duster, another object she had yet to see, that was rapidly making it's way across her dresser.

"Oh, you pipe down Fifi!" hushed the wardrobe before turning back to Regina, who was now trembling. "No need ta be frightened, love; we won' hurt ya." she tried to soothe.

"I…" Regina murmured, unable to wrap her head around exactly what was happening

"Well my, oh, my! Aren't you a pretty little thing!" she enthused, waddling over on her stubby legs to inspect Regina, who hid a nervous chuckle behind her hand. The way the wardrobe walked, she was reminded of a penguin.

"Th- thank you?" she stuttered, shrinking back as the wardrobe tried to tug on her night gown.

"Oh, but we must do _something _about this frock." the armoire chided with a frown and a cluck of her tongue.

"My _frock_? What- what's wrong with my nightgown?"

"Don't lizen to zhe overgrown sewing machine diva," interrupted Fifi, "your clothes, zhey are fine!"

"I am not a diva, you frivolous feather duster!" the wardrobe shot back, "Once upon a time, I was the greatest seamstress this kingdom had ever seen; Michelle de Gardner, Tailor to the Gods!" she boasted.

"You were a seamstress?" Regina asked curiously.

"The finest in the kingdom, sugah," she beamed proudly, "To the royals I was always Michelle, but you just call me Chelle, okay baby?"

"O..okay," Regina agreed, a bit surprised by how quick the wardrobe took to her. "So, were you, uh, have you worked in the palace for a long time?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"Thirty years before the Master enchanted us. And Rumple says that even after all these years, I've _still _got talent with needle n' thread."

"Uh huh," Fifi rolled her eyes, "and you've got zhe ego to match."

Chelle sniffed, "Well, at least I'm better than you- scullery maid!"

Fifi hopped off the dresser and scurried toward the wardrobe, "I'll have you know my cleaning skills were once zhe best zhe king ever had! _I v_as zhe only one allowed to clean his chambers!"

"Ooh, I'm sooo jealous," taunted Chelle, "Are you sure you were nothin' _else _to the king? Like maybe his _mistress?_" she accused, and the duster's face reded with rage.

Regina watched, aghast. She was aware of what magic was capable of, of course, but the shock of experiencing her bedroom furniture hold a full blown conversation was almost more than she could believe. She stood, open mouthed, watching the argument build until she could bear it no longer.

"Excuse me!" she interrupted, addressing Chelle, "but I've just left everything I've ever known to try and start over, and in a matter of days I will most likely have my angry sorceress mother chomping at the bit to obtain my head on a platter, so could you all kindly _stop _arguing and maybe let me get some sleep?" she fumed.

All the furniture sucked in their breath at once, unsure what to say after that outburst; Regina flushed. It was Sophie who finally broke the tense silence.

"Your mommy would kill you?" she piped up with a whimper as she came a smidgen closer to the girl, slightly less angry now, "but why?"

The princess sighed. She didn't actually know why her mother had insisted on making her life such a misery, but she was certain it had something to do with hierarchy. "Well," she began, unsure about whether she should be divulging her innermost secrets to a collection of supposedly inanimate objects, "I think it has to do with power. You see, my mother loves power. You could say she is obsessed with it. In fact, I am quite sure she would have manipulated my life to fit in with her plans of domination. Had I let her."

The enchanted creatures all looked upon the young woman with sympathetic expressions, encouraging her to continue.

"All she cares about is herself. I- I don't think she can ever _really_ have wanted a daughter," Regina confessed, wiping a stray tear from her eye as she thought of all the times her mother had abused her and called her 'a worthless slip of a girl,' "especially not one like me," she whispered brokenly. She had never admitted that to anyone before, and it did not have the relieving effect she had hoped. If anything, she felt as useless and rejected as ever.

"Well don't fret love; you have us now," Chelle spoke kindly into the darkening room. "You don't ever have to be alone again."

Regina smiled at the sentiment, though she didn't know whether it was true and she was not yet sure whether this new path she'd chosen was going to be a blessing or a curse. But for now, her new friends had done as she's asked and quietened down. The princess brushed her long, brunette curls and then settled herself under the covers of an unfamiliar bed, ready for some much-needed sleep. Although she would never reveal it, she was sure she could hear the soft shuffling of a small pillow as it inched closer to its newest acquaintance.

* * *

_Two weeks later…_

In the bright summer sun, the Dark Castle had to work hard to live up to its name. From the outside, with light reflecting off the tall, stained-glass windows, it looked just like any other regal fortress. This familiar exterior, along with the comforting lure of the stables, had helped Regina settle in more comfortably in the past week and today, she was planning to take full advantage of them. After much persuasion and encouragement, she had managed to get Baelfire to accompany her and together, the pair were on their way down the stone steps of the castle and out onto the grounds. The former princess was slowly coming to love her new life at the castle. Rumple allowed her much more freedom than expected; and slowly but surely, Bae was beginning to take to her as well. She wasn't really required to do much, save take care of Bae when his father was away and help him with his lessons; since the enchanted hosts of the castle took care of its cleanliness and maintenance.

The objects were slowly becoming great friends as well. Chelle had once been a plump, eager woman never without ideas for a new creation. She was always helping Regina dress in the morning, or rather, _trying_ to help. Often times, the brunette had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the her eccentric antics every time she wore something simple rather than something "fit only for a royal" as Chelle called the garments she had made as a human. There had been numerous times when, in her haste, the wardrobe had actually _tried to undress her_ and put in "better, fancier attire." More than once Regina had ended up walking around all day in a haze of ruffled frills and pink fabric because Chelle had tied the dresses so tight she simply had no way of getting them off without the seamstresses help. It happened four times before the princess finally laid down the law and kindly but firmly told the wardrobe that if she wanted a second opinion on her outfit, she would ask, and to please _not _attempt to redress her. Chelle had sulked in the corner for few days, but eventually they came to an understanding, and she was fast becoming like the fun flippity aunt Regina never had.

She and Sophie had reconciled after she apologized in the form of a nice, big tuna fish that Rumple had given her when he learned of their spat, and Regina had become the kitten's new favorite person. The girl could seldom walk around the castle without the purring feline at her side. Except, of course, now, because like any indoor cat, Sophie absolutely detested the outdoors.

"I'm really not sure about this, Regina," Bae admitted uncomfortably as he fingered the golden buttons on his waistcoat as they neared the stable. "Horses are really big and-"

"Look," Regina interrupted, her tone calm in an attempt to soothe the youngster, "I've been riding since I was _much_ younger than you are. I promise, once you spend some time with the horses, you'll be begging me to teach you how to ride."

Straightening his collar and trying to muster up his courage, Baelfire followed the princess through the overgrown garden and out the other side where the stables came into view. He felt woefully underdressed compared to Regina in her white jodhpurs, teal jacket and crisp riding shirt, with tall, tan boots coming up to her knees. She happily swung her black riding hat as she walked at full speed towards the enticing smell of hay and horse.

When at last they stepped foot inside the large, wooden structure, Regina gasped as she took in the sight. It was far larger than the stables she had been used to before, and there were almost twice as many horses shuffling around in the straw and whinnying softly. Numerous leather saddles hung ceremoniously on the wall and the reins and other assorted riding equipment were piled on shelves to the left of the stalls.

"Wow," she breathed in amazement, slowly stepping up to the first horse and stretching out her hand for it to smell. When the animal had deemed her worthy of its trust, it lowered its head and allowed Regina to stroke the wiry hair above its nose.

Baelfire, who was hanging back a few feet behind his new house guest, watched as she behaved so naturally around the animals, until she turned towards him and gestured for him to join her.

"Come on," she encouraged, "They won't hurt you. They're sweet, see?" She took the boy's hand and held it out, just as she had done, to allow the horse a moment to pick up his scent. Then, when she knew it was ready, she placed Bae's hand on the chestnut hair and covered it with her own, stroking upwards towards the mane.

"Oh, it's softer than I thought it would be," the boy said, his voice an octave higher than usual due to the nerves.

Regina smiled; from the fuss he had made this morning, she considered it a personal victory that Baelfire had even come so close to a horse, let alone touched it. "Oh yes," she replied, "they're beautiful animals, and so gentle too. Watch," she instructed as she flipped up the catch and opened the low wooden door before stepping inside the stall.

"But Regina, won't-"

"Shhhh," she hissed softly, "Horses like calm and quiet, Bae. Try to keep your voice down and they won't be frightened of you," she explained. "Please pass me the brush on that shelf next to you?"

The boy did as he was told and watched as Regina's skillful and practiced hands ran through the horse's deep brown mane from top to bottom. He noticed the smile on her face, the young woman was completely at ease, as though this was where she truly wanted to be.

"See how I'm pressing here with this hand so it doesn't hurt him?" Regina asked in a voice barely above a whisper. Baelfire nodded his silent reply. "You know, when I said you should keep your voice down, I didn't mean you should switch it off altogether," she joked.

Bae laughed.

Watching her growing relationship with the animal, the boy stepped from the stone floor onto the straw of the stall and did just as Regina had taught him; he stretched his hand out towards the nose and rubbed slowly upwards.

"That's it!" the brunette congratulated with a wide grin, "Well done." She could see the boy was as pleased with himself as she was and his confidence improved rapidly until his face was so close to the horse's that they were practically touching. Once Regina had finished with the brush, she handed it over to Bae and nodded towards the horse's smooth, chestnut body. "Go on then, give the rest of him a brush," she encouraged. "Nice, long strokes, and always in the direction of the hair," she added when he looked at her, bemused.

Nervousness once again creeping in, he followed Regina's instructions to the letter as he stepped into the stall beside her and inched closer to the animal, swiping the bristles from the horse's front shoulder all the way back towards its tail.

"See how he likes it?" Regina asked, "Look how he's putting his head down to eat? He wouldn't do that if he didn't like it."

Bae's smile grew wider the longer he brushed the majestic stallion. Regina felt a warmth inside, pride that she had passed on something she had once been taught to someone else. This boy was almost beginning to feel like the younger sibling she'd never had. Oh, what she wouldn't have given for someone else to play with in that godforsaken mansion of her mother's and then Leopold's castle. All those miserable days alone in her room that could have been eased if there had been a brother or sister to share them with. But now she was here and out of Cora's control, with a guardian who treated her with the trust she deserved and was willing to take her on as an apprentice of light magic. In a way, she thought, looking at the boy who was now nuzzling his nose against that of the horse, she was now a student _and_ a teacher.

They hadn't gotten to ride that day, as Regina knew it would take several more tries before the boy's fear was completely eased.

"Regina?" he asked as they headed back toward the table after she had showed him how to clean the curry brush.

"Yes?"

Can we...maybe...come back tomorrow?" his voice was hesitant, but his eyes were hopeful.

Regina beamed. "Of course Bae," she smiled, before nudging him lightly with her shoulder. "See? I _told _you you'd like it!" she teased.

Bae flushed in happy embarrassment, "Yeah, yeah." he mumbled.

Regina grinned.

As they neared the castle doors, they heard Rumple call, "Regina! Bae! Lunch!"

"Race you inside," Bae challenged, quirking an eyebrow at her.

Regina laughed, You're on," she said and sprinted off toward the castle.

"Hey!" Bae laughed as he ran to catch her, "No fair! I didn't say go!"

Regina glanced back at the young boy and stuck her tongue out, "Slowpoke."

* * *

It took a minute for their eyes to adjust from the bright sunlight to the darker interior of the castle and they almost had to follow the clattering of crockery in order to find their way to the dining room. When they arrived, Rumple was already seated at the head of the table, which was groaning, literally, with the weight of the food on top. "Master," it grunted, "Must I always carry this much food at once? I am not as young as I used to be you know."

There were sandwiches on a variety of breads, each with various meats and cheeses, alongside heaping bowls of fruit salad, potato salad, and various pitchers of juices and punch.

"Oh, hush, Claude." Rumple reprimanded the once maitre d'. I just polished you and rebuilt your bad leg last week!"

The table only grumbled in response.

"What was that dearie? I can always put that weak leg back on you know, I didn't destroy it," he admonished.

The table shook a bit, "No-nothing Master. I _love _carrying all this food! In fact, give me more!" he enthused.

"That's better," the former spinner smiled.

"My goodness! Regina laughed as she sat down in the chair opposite his. "Is _everything _in this castle enchanted?" The chair underneath her seemed to snuggle to her body in response, "Oh," she gasped, giggling.

"Just about dearie," her mentor laughed.

"But only the main castle staff and their offspring can talk can talk," Bae put in as he plopped down next to her.

"Like me," Ms. Potts, the grandmotherly teapot who served as the head housekeeper smiled as she wheeled herself in on her tea cart.

"And me!" piped in Chip, her five year old son who had once been a pageboy in training and was now a small chipped teacup in homage to his matching adorably chipped front tooth.

"Mrs. Potts laughed and nudged the boy, tickling him with her spout, "Yes, of course you."

"What about me Bae?" the little tabby wined, coming over and perching on her hind legs next to her young master.

Bae laughed and reached down to pet her, "You, Sophie, are the extraordinary exception. You were brought to like because of your master's love for you, and yours for him."

"And the better we care for this castle Bae, Rumple chimed in, "The more people will be able to reclaim their former states off mind. Eventually, I hope to have every object in the palace animated again.

Bae chuckled, "It sure will be loud in here then Papa. Can you imagine the gossip that would get around?" he joked, "i already have Herman keeping an eye on _everything _I do in my room, how much more supervision I really need?"

Rumple laughed, "Right you are Bae. Herman sure does keep you on your toes, doesn't he?"

Regina's brow furrowed in confusion, "Who's Herman?" she asked.

"My Hunting Horn." the young boy supplied, and then burst into a fit of laughter when he noticed Regina's eyebrows shoot up in her hairline.

"Bae- she laughed, "Why in the _world _do you have a Hunting Horn in your room? Are you an secret archer?"

"Herman used to be the castle's head huntsman," Rumple supplied. "He was also in charge or sounding warnings if the castle was about to be attacked . . .And he often carried a Hunting Horn with him when he went out to parol the grounds so he could call for help if he or one of his men were hurt. When I moved it, he used to be stationed in the front hall, but the minute he saw I had a lad with me-"

"He demanded to be put in my room so he could watch my every move," Bae deadpanned, causing both his father and Regina to chuckle.

"He just wants to protect you Bae," Rumple insisted. "And he's done a darn good job of it too! If he hadn't sounded himself when you scaled the castle wall because you were "trying to be a spy" when you were seven, you could've broken your neck!"

Regina gasped and her fork landed with a clang on her plate, "Bae! You scaled the castle wall?!"

"From the fourth floor, dearie," Rumple added ruefully. "Scared me half to death he did."

"Are you crazy?! You could've broken your back!" Regina scolded.

Bae pouted, "I didn't climb _that _far," he whined.

"Only because Herman called me and I caught you and got you down before you could," his father put in. "Boy, did he get a good swat for that little trick," he confided ruefully in Regina, who only smiled and shook her head in bewilderment as Bae slumped down in his chair and continued eating, "Couldn't sit down for a week."

The princess's sable eyes sparkled with pleasure as she hid her mouth behind her hand to stifle a laugh. This couldn't have been further from the lonely existence Regina was used to and it made her smile to hear them bickering amongst themselves and sharing cherished childhood memories.

"Papa!" Bae sat up suddenly, eager to change the subject so he could share his news as he reached across the table for another sandwich, "Regina took me down to see the horses and I touched one!" The pride was evident in his expression and the way his chest puffed out slightly as he spoke. His audience were clearly impressed, and chimed in with various congratulatory comments from around the table.

"I knew you could do it my boy," Ms. Potts praised kindly.

"Jolly good, I always said you were a natural," commented Claude, his excitement accentuated as his British accent got thicker.

"Oooh coooll!" Chip exclaimed in awe. "Regina, can you teach me next?" he asked, hopping up and down on on the cart, "Can ya, can ya, can ya?"

Regina laughed and grinned at the little teacup, "We'll see. What do you think Mrs. Potts?" she asked, winking at the older teapot.

"No driving horses for you my boy," she said sternly. "But maybe, if you're really nice to her, we can figure out a way so that you could ride in Regina's saddle bag and go for a ride?" she raised a questioning eyebrow at Regina, who was more than happy to comply, "I'm sure we can work _something _out," she smiled.

"Yeah!" Chip whooped and jumped into her hand, "Thanks Regina!"

The former princess giggled, "Of course."

"Well done, my boy," Rumple grinned bringing the focus back to his beaming son, "it's about time those horses saw the light of day."

"You mean you don't ride them?" Regina asked, incredulous.

"There isn't much call for a steed, my dear, when one can poof wherever one desires," he explained, clicking his fingers to show the immediacy of his chosen transport. "Please, feel free to visit the stables as often as you like."

"Regina's going to teach me to ride!" Bae cut in with a mouth full of food, spraying crumbs all over the table before him.

"Is she now?" enquired the imp with a raised eyebrow. "Well, it'll keep you out of trouble," he added with a wink.

Baelfire shared a sideways glance with Regina, of whom he was rapidly becoming very fond. He had never had a great number of friends as children in this land seemed to be few and far between, so it was comforting to know he had an ally.

"Come on, girl, you haven't had anything to eat," chastised Ms. Potts, and she nudged a bowl of potato salad towards Regina with her spout. The young brunette had been so distracted by the different conversations around the table that she had indeed forgotten to fill her plate. Carefully, she spooned some out and then took a sandwich from a platter nearby. In truth, she wasn't all that hungry; her desire to learn about more of the magical secrets surrounding her new home was overriding her need to eat but she took a few bites anyway, to please the many eyes that were now boring into her head.

"You must build your strength for our lesson this evening, Regina," warned the imp from the head of the table. "You'll certainly need it."

Not one to ignore The Dark One's advice, she added another sandwich to her plate and drained her glass. It would not do, she decided, to appear unprepared.

"Papa, after lunch, can I show Regina the greenhouse?"

Regina looked up. It shouldn't have surprised her that there was still so much of the castle she hadn't seen, but the enormity of the fortress that was only supposed to house a few people continued to astonish her. She looked at her guardian, waiting to see whether he would give permission, but Rumple shook his head.

"Don't you have school work to finish first?" he asked pointedly, and his son's shoulders slumped, "Aww! Papa, do I _have_ to?"

"Yes, I'm afraid you do, or would you rather skip Market Day in town tomorrow?"

Bae fought the urge to roll his eyes, "Oh, alright."

Regina nudged his hand with hers, "Don't worry Bae, we can head up to the library after lunch and I'll help you."

At that, his son smiled softly; he loved the library. "Ok...thanks Regina," he smiled.

* * *

In the library, Bae sat down to work on the latest lesson his father had given him. Regina sat on his left and Webster, the Librarian turned dictionary, sat on his right, helping with words he didn't understand. After an hour, the boy put his pencil down and groaned in frustration, "I don't understand why Papa makes me study so much about ancient mages, I don't even have a Talent!"

Regina patted his hand reassuringly, "I know it's annoying, but as much as your father deals in Wizardry, you never know when this information might come in handy."

"But I don't _want _to be a magician Regina!" he huffed, "I want to be a writer,"

Regina smiled fondly, remembering the countless creative stories he had showed her over the past week. "You're a great writer Bae." Then, she got an idea, "Hey maybe that would help!"

"What would help?" he asked, puzzled. Nothing could make learning Mage History more fun...or so he thought.

"What if you wrote a story for every new Mage you had to learn about?" Regina asked, "You could use the facts your father wants to quiz you on, but you could still be creative so you won't get bored." she smiled.

"Splendiferous idea your majesty," Webster complemented, "Maybe then the boy will actually retain his work."

Regina and Bae glared at the little book, "Webster…" she scolded, "be nice, Bae just needs a little help, that's all. And I told you, call me Regina."

The dictionary looked down sheepishly, "Apologies Regina, Master Baelfire."

Bae waved him off. "It's ok, I know I don't study very well, but I think this might help! I'll go get my notebook!" Regina grinned as the boy hopped down from his chair and sprinted to his room.

Just as he left, Witherspoon, the castle messenger dove landed on the window sill. "Hello, Lady Regina," he cooed. "I have a note addressed to you from the White kingdom.

"Hello, Witherspoon," she grinned. "That's odd, what could they want from me?"

"I don't know," the bird shrugged, "I was just told to deliver it right away."

She wandered over to the window and took the note from the dove, unfolding it and carefully scanning the handwriting. It was her mother's. Regina's face paled as Bae galloped back into the room.

"I got the-" he started before he noticed her ghostly complexion, "Regina? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Regina just shook her head and handed Bae the note, trying not to faint.

"Oh no!" the boy gasped after he read the scrawly handwriting, "We have to tell Papa," he exclaimed before flinging the note down and racing back out of the room.

Regina leaned heavily against the table and tried to steady her breathing.

Cora wished an audience with the Dark One...She had discovered her spell book missing and wanted it back…along with her daughter.


	3. Daughter of the Dark One

**A/N: And finally, chapter 3! No, you are NOT allowed to maim me for the (semi) cliffhanger and the end! Mwahahahaha! Ooncer and I really enjoyed writing ths chapter, and its my favorite, and the longest, thus far! Hope you enjoy! A;so, the Wardrobe's name has been changed to Chelle in honor of one of my best friends Michelle, aka Charlotte Ashmore ;) **

**Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show.**

**3**

**Daughter of the Dark One**

Regina was still trying to keep her sanity as she tore through the castle, letter crumpled in her hand, following Bae to his father's office in the West Wing. She couldn't panic now; in fact she probably couldn't panic...ever. The most important lesson Rumple had taught her during their magic lessons these past two weeks was that, no matter how dire the circumstances, or how much pressure she felt; she couldn't lose control. Not when practicing spells, and certainly not now. If she broke down, Rumple would surely see her as weak and send her grovelling back toward her mother.

The little voice in the back of the princess' head fought to contradict that preposterous notion. Rumple wasn't the Dark One she had always been taught to fear; he had volunteered to save her after all, and even within the castle walls and the terms of her contract, she was given more freedom here than Cora would ever consider allowing. But the looming threat of seeing her mother again…. she could already feel her vengeful taunts and oppressive orders constricting her once more. Fear gripped her throat like a vice and threatened to suck all of the life out of her. Every one of her mother's demeaning mantras echoed over and over in her head, churning in her mind relentlessly; almost to the point of suffocation.

_Foolish; you're a foolish, insolent girl! _Cora's voice jeered. _Love is weakness_, she deadpanned, her face an emotionless slate as it reprimanded Regina endlessly in her head. The image of the night her mother ruined her life by crushing Daniel's heart in accompaniment to those words was etched in Regina's memory and played back like the terrifying cycle of a recurring nightmare as she sprinted through the halls. What would Cora do to Rumple and Bae when she saw her with them? Though Regina didn't love them the way she had Daniel- as she doubted that would ever happen again- over the past view weeks, Rumple had become a good friend to her. She wasn't sure that he felt the same way; whether she was his friend as well, or if he was just glad to have company of any kind, but she didn't care. He had given her something her mother never would- the freedom to make her own choices. Even within the terms of their deal, Regina's life was now hers and hers alone. _Finally, _she had the opportunity to be the person she wanted to be, and she never had to become anyone but herself. That was something she could never repay him for.

And Bae...sweet, inquisitive, witty, creative Bae. He was almost like a sibling to her. If Cora harmed him... _No_. She wouldn't, _couldn't_ think like that. Her mother would never lay a hand on him; of that Regina would make sure.

She wasn't certain why the news that her mother had found out where she was surprised her so, especially as powerful as she was. But it had.

Regina was quaking in her boots at the prospect of facing her mother again, and she knew without a doubt she hadn't the courage or skills yet to do so, despite her mentor's recent training. Nonetheless, she was determined to fight this; both for herself and for Bae.

The pair burst through the heavy oak door, sending a pile of papers fluttering to the ground and causing Rumple to nearly jump out of his golden skin in shock.

"Papa, Papa!" yelled Bae as he hurried up to his father, taking his hand and dragging him over to where Regina stood, still reeling from the contents of the letter.

"What on earth is the matter, my boy?" his father enquired, worry casting a heavy cloud over his features as he glanced between his son and distraught apprentice.

"It's f- from m- my m- mother," Regina informed him shakily before bursting into tears and holding out the letter for her mentor to inspect. She buried her head in her hands, ashamed that she was unable to keep her composure any longer.

Thankfully, that seemed to be all the explanation her guardian needed. He scanned the letter carefully before guiding Regina's hands down, away from her face, and taking them in his own.

"My dear," he prodded gently, "Why has this letter succeeded in making you so very upset?"

Regina could barely speak through the sobs, though she tried desperately to choke them down. "I…it says..." she rasped, gesturing a trembling finger at the parchment, and cringing when she noticed it was stained and the ink was running from her tears, "Sh- she w- wants me to…" she shook her head rapidly, chocolate curls swinging, "and I d- I don't- .. w- want to..." she trailed off quietly.

Rumpelstiltskin was left puzzled and he carefully examined the paper again before finally realizing what it was that was causing his apprentice so much anguish. "You don't want to visit your mother?" he finished for her.

Regina sook her head in conformation, swiping at the tears flowing freely down her cheeks, "She'll- she'll try to- to m- make m- me go b- back," she sobbed miserably.

Rumple's face softened at her broken words and he gently put an arm around her, snapping his fingers so a silken handkerchief appeared in his hand. "Here," her mentor offered, holding the handkerchief out to her. She accepted it gratefully and Bae took her free hand in his, glancing up at her worriedly and giving it a comforting squeeze before facing his father again.

"What can we do, Papa?" he asked frantically, watching as he expertly continued to analyse the note.

"So, Cora thinks she can pull some strings and like puppets we will dance for her?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in askance.

Regina could only nod. The threat of going back scared her worse than any others she had ever faced. But to her surprise, Rumple simply tossed the letter aside with a sly smile and flourish of his hand.

" I know from personal experience the power her words can hold," he lamented, his eyes shifting sympathetically back to the weeping brunette.

"Y-you do?" Regina quieted as her stream of tears slowly began to lessen.

"I do," he assured her. "Believe it or not, once upon a time, she made me think she loved me too."

Regina's eyes widened as something in the back of her mind clicked, "If you knew her... long ago...then that picture in the hall..."

"Aye," Rumple shook his head regretfully, "She loved me once. Or, I thought she did. But, as she did with you, she chose power over happiness- including her own. Took out her heart so she could no longer love me, or anyone since."

"Oh..." Regina sniffed, her eyes wide with horror and sympathy, both at the extreme her mother had gone to and her fondness for the older man, "I'm sorry.."

It's not your fault dearie," Rumple soothed, "Your mother's greed will be her own undoing some day. The important thing now is, you have nothing to worry about," he assured her.

Regina finally managed to regain some control over her emotions and looked at him in awe and hope, wondering how he could possibly brush this off so calmly and with such an air of nonchalance. "I d-don't?" she hiccuped quietly, "you're sure?"

"Oh no, no, no," he waved a hand dismissively, "Nothing at all. And do you know why?"

Both Regina and Bae looked up expectantly at the man whose exterior could not have been more different from the character within, and shook their heads.

"Because you have a tremendous advantage on your side, dearie," he divulged in a loud exaggerated whisper.

"I- I do?" she asked, wiping her eyes again, "What's that?"

"Me," he replied confidently, his eyes filled with steely determination.

Regina bit her lip and fumbled for the right words, "Bu- but- Oh, I know you're powerful, but my mother...I can't...I'm not strong enough to stand against her alone," she hung her head shamefully as a few more tears slipped down her cheeks.

Rumple sighed and placed a hand atop hers, which was now gripping the crumpled handkerchief for dear life, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you _did_ come here to leave that lonely life behind?" he asked softly, lifting her chin to face him.

"I...I did.." she affirmed, sniffling between raspy breaths. She still wasn't quite sure where this was leading, "And I- I love it here, but-"

"But, but, _but_," he wagged a playful finger at her. "Always a but with you!" her mentor jested, not unkindly. " Look, dearie; you just said you don't want to face your mother alone and you don't have to."

"Right," Baelfire interjected. "You're not alone anymore, Regina," he encouraged, squeezing the girl's hand again and looking up into her deep, dark eyes.

"Yes. Listen to Bae, dearie," echoed his father, flicking his wrist and changing his working attire for a dress robe and neatly pressed shirt.

"W-what are you doing?" Regina asked, surprised by this sudden costume change.

"We don't want to waste time do we? You'd better get changed into something more appropriate, my dear," Rumple advised warmly. "We've got a queen to see. _Together_."

* * *

Up in her room, Regina had picked out her favorite dress from back home, a flowing pale blue gown with delicate beading adorning the bodice, and was fumbling with the corset ties.

"Let me, love," Chelle said, moving behind her and expertly tying the laces with her arms that were also decorative handles. It never ceased to amaze Regina how well her enchanted friends could do such intricate things. She supposed it came from being the way they were for so many centuries; they had to learn to do things differently, or there would be little they were able to do at all. "Don't look so nervous baby," she whispered gently, "The Master won't let anything happen ta ya."

Regina forced a smile. "I know Chelle, but my mother can be quite….deceptive," she replied, her mind again drifting to that fateful night in the stables when Daniel died.

"Your mozher is a petulant child wiz a power complex! Fifu scoffed, "Don't lizen to zhat twitt,"

Regina sighed; if only it were that simple.

"That mean 'ol lady hurt you or The Master and I'll bite her tail off," hissed Sophie, jumping up into Regina's arms protectively.

"If only you could Soph," Regina laughed, stroking the tabby, who snuggled contentedly into her chest and purred loudly, "If she had a tail, I would've stepped on it a long time ago."

"Oh, honey, I think she does," chuckled Chelle, "A devil's tail."

Everyone laughed.

"Thanks guys," Regina smiled, "If only you all could come along."

"We'll be cheering for ya right here sweetheart," the wardrobe hugged her.

"And I'll be ready to cuddle the minute- no, no, no, the _second _you get back," Sophie nuzzled against her.

"Go give zhat witch a pieze of your mind!" Fifi enthused.

Regina grinned, "I hope so, Fif."

She took one last look in the mirror before heading toward the door, "Well, guess It's time to go." Taking a deep breath she waved, "Wish me luck!"

"Go get 'em sweetheart!"

"You can do it! Show zhe witch who iz boss!"

"I can still bite her if you want," Sophie hissed encouragingly, baring her teeth as proof.

Regina giggled at the little cat's quip as she made her way down the stairs and into the parlor where her mentor waited.

"Ready, dearie?" he asked, grasping her hand reassuringly.

Regina let out a long breath and squared her shoulders, trying to ignore the painful fluttering in her stomach, "As I'll ever be." Then she squeezed her eyes shut as Rumple snapped his fingers and they disappeared in a whisp of smoke.

As the cold air whipped her face. Regina desperately tried to quell the nausea bubbling up inside her. She wondered whether she was ever going to get used to this mode of transport. The pair materialized in a haze of mist, just a stone bridge away from the palace prison that Regina had come to know only too well. To the unsuspecting eye, it was a building of great beauty, with its intricate turrets and domed towers. But what resided within, Regina knew, was more evil than anyone could imagine. As the soles of her boots clattered towards the castle, she could feel her chest constricting with impending doom.

Rumplestiltskin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze of encouragement. "Come on, dearie," he muttered, "this is the easy part."

Regina swallowed and took his outstretched hand, her own shaking still. In that moment,, she knew she had been right to put her trust in him all those days ago and she had never been so grateful to have this complicated and powerful guardian on her side.

Faces set with grim determination, the pair picked up the pace and before they knew it, they had reached the decorated archway that led into the courtyard. There was not a soul in sight and the eerie silence was broken only by a lone blackbird who stood high up on a golden spire. Still gripping her guardian's hand for stability, the pair tiptoed quietly across the cobbles and up to the enormous door.

Rumple reached out with his free hand picked up the ornate, golden lion knocker that greeted them and gave it three sharp taps against the large, oak door. Immediately, a small slip opened up in line with Rumple's waist to reveal two small brown eyes.

"Who is it?" barked a man's clipped, clear voice.

The sorcerer rolled his eyes before saying, "Who else would come visit this debtor's prison, dearie? It is I, Rumplestiltskin. Mistress Cora has requested my presence."

With a loud snap the slit was closed and, after the dull clink of a lock, the palace door creaked slowly open to reveal a hall Regina had hoped never to return to. Before she could take it all in, there was a loud gasp and the page was bent down in such an exaggerated and abrupt bow that he nearly folded himself in half.

"Your highness!" he breathed in amazement, having locked eyes on Regina. "Oh, Her Majesty will be _so_ pleased to see you! She's been-"

"Yes, yes," drawled Rumple, waving his hands in the little man's face and glaring pointedly at him when he heard Regina's breath become uneven once again at the mention of her mother. "Now tell me, where is the manipulative snake who has ordered us here?"

The page, too afraid to speak for fear of a threat from the Dark One, gestured for them to follow him down a dark corridor lined with suits of armor and statues with eyes that followed them as they walked.

Regina's heart was thudding loudly in her ears as they turned a corner and found themselves in a highly decorated throne room. Black and white marble tiling lined the ocular shaped space in a checkerboard pattern and each side was flanked by fully uniformed guards clad in deep red and midnight back with the new, chilling crest, which Cora had commissioned to be made after she married Leopold in Regina's absence, embroidered on the left chest pocket: a golden heart with a sword severed through it surrounded by an elaborate crown. Three carpeted stairs led up to a small stage on which two sold gold thrones with red velvet cushions stood, menacingly towering above the sorcerer and the princess. In one of them sat a stern faced woman covered in five layers of intricately sewn tool intermingled with red and black fabric. The top layer of the dress was a rich cranberry. Glittering, blood red hearts dotted the bodice and skirt. A ruby jeweled crown sat atop her head, gems casting a haunting glow on the pearl white walls, and she glowered at the newcomers as if they were no better than lowly insects. Regina sucked in her breath; she was staring into the coal black eyes of the very woman she had fled this life to escape.

Cora.

"Nice to see you again, imp," the Queen sneered with a wicked grin, "And, Regina! Finally decided to come groveling back? I always told you never to trust the Dark One."

Regina gulped, eyes trained to the floor as she struggled to find her voice, "I…"

"What do you want, Cora?" Rumple snarled, stepping protectively in front of the princess.

Cora's sickening smile widened as she pushed up off her throne and slowly made her way down the stairs, giving off a superior and menacing air as she came nose to nose with the former spinner.

"What I want, my dear Rumple," she purred, running a hand down his scaley cheek before he could step away, "is simple."

The Dark One's eyes narrowed, "If you want your book, take it," he clicked his fingers and the leather bound book appeared in his hand. He shoved it at his former apprentice, but Cora only turned her nose up as though the talisman was no better than a pile of cow dung.

"Oh, no," she scoffed, "You really think a few simple trinkets will satisfy me? I thought you knew me better than that, _dearie_."

"Get to the point Cora," Rumple snapped, vanishing the book once more.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" she snorted, "I want my daughter back."

"Not a chance," he growled dangerously, placing a defensive hand on Regina, who was shaking despite the calmness of her features. "She made a _deal _with me. And, unlike you, _I _never go back on my promises."

Cora sputtered cruelly at the display of affection. "Oh come now," she said with a mocking smile, "That was _years _ago. You told me to make a choice, Rumple. And I did. Power, my dear, will always be stronger than affection," she stated simply. "I would've thought you'd have made peace with it by now."

The mage stayed silent and it was then that she noticed the parent-like glint in his gaze as his eyes flicked back and forth from Regina to the sorceress.

Cora laughed shrilly,"You haven't actually come to _care _for my sniveling excuse for a daughter have you?" she asked, as if it was the most preposterous thought she'd ever had the displeasure of thinking.

Rumple's face reddened with a ripe seed of anger.

His former apprentice eyed him as she shook her head back and forth in disbelief, "You can't convince me you care about anything other than power, imp. You and I, we are alike that way," she sneered nonchalantly.

"H- he's _nothing _like you. He let's me _live _my life; even under the terms of our deal, I still have my free will! _You_ wanted me to throw it away on a man I never even knew!" Regina yelled suddenly, finally finding her voice.

"Oh, the runaway speaks," Cora chortled dangerously. "Well, Regina," she teased with a cruel edge to her voice, "You think he's so great just because he stole you away from a marriage and gave you your so/called _freedom_?"

"That's all I ever wanted," she pointed out defiantly, "And it's the one thing _you _would never give me!"

"Oh, how I'll hate to shock you with the _real_ truths about your precious ally," she cackled evilly, "You think you're free? You're not _free_! You're his play thing! He only wants you as a prize! He _cares _for _no one_!" Her face was wild now, her words seeping with white hot rage.

"_Don't_ you poison her mind, you wretched harpy," Rumple threatened, his voice low with malice.

Cora scoffed, " Oh, don't worry, Rumple, I won't tell her anything that isn't true. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't already poisoned her yourself..._Dark One. _She _is _the offspring of the woman you once loved after all. And what better revenge against me than taking my daughter? " she drawled crazily.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Regina, shocking even herself with the volume of her outburst. "He's done more for me in two weeks than you ever did in my entire existence!"

"Has he now? Good lord darling, won't you ever learn? You're going to get yourself into trouble if you go on trusting people who aren't to be trusted."

"Well, dearie," her guardian countered, "perhaps if you had treated Regina more like a daughter and less like a pawn-"

"A _pawn_?" Cora seethed, "I only wanted the best for her! And that," she spat, rising up higher on her toes so her form loomed over him, "is something you know _nothing_ about... _coward_."

"Cora, you are, and have always been, nothing more than a power hungry bitch!" Rumple hissed, "You've _never_ cared about what's best for her," he accused, "only about what _she _could do for _you_. But no matter what title you wear, deep down, you'll _always _be a miller's daughter!" His right hand began to shimmer and crackle with pent up aggression.

"Rumple, don't!" pleaded Regina, pulling his hand into hers in an attempt to quell the devastating potential he harbored there. "Don't make what she says true."

But it was too late. Cora had seen his threat and concluded to fight fire with fire… literally.

Regina ducked as magic flew haphazardly, each sorcerer's blow only powered by their raging anger. The princess gasped in horror when a fire ball struck Rumple directly near his heart. He staggered back and clutched at his chest, but managed to continue fighting. Regina glanced around frantically. She could tell by the ashen color of his face that her mentor's power was waning, and the fire ball had left a gaping wound on his chest, having burned straight through his robes and shirt. She had to do something quickly, or one of them would not leave this battle alive.

"You may have taught me magic, Rumplestiltskin, but you know nothing of the duties of a mother!" Cora snarled.

"Maybe not," Rumple admitted, gritting his teeth and fighting to stay standing as the injuries and his expulsion of so much magic at once began to take it's toll, "but I _do _know how to be a father. And being a father mean's protecting those you love at any cost. So while this girl is in _my_ care, _you_, Cora Mills, will _never_ be her mother. She may not be it by blood, but _she's_," he launched a ball of white light at the sorceress, which missed Cora's head by a centimetre, "_my_," every word was torturous now as pain ripped through his upper torso with the next throw, "_daughter_! And you will come no where near her or my son as long as I'm alive!"

Regina's choked sob of happiness at hearing Rumple refer to her as his daughter went unnoticed as Cora prepared to finish the battle once and for all. Slowly, a ball of fire grew in her hand, swirling and spitting animatedly.

But the emotion of the encounter was having an unexpected reaction inside Regina. Her fingers began to tingle and she could feel the vibration of magic building up inside her core. Less than a second before her mother's death meaning weapon was released, the frightened young woman rushed between the two parties, spreading her now glowing hands to separate them.

"Stop!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, fuelled by the years of loneliness and repression and orders that had led her to this very moment. Suddenly magic soared from the tips of her fingers, hot and bright white. Regina opened her eyes and gasped when she saw her mother and mentor were frozen in place, poised to strike, yet unable to move. The room fell silent except for the lingering hiss of burning fabric where remnants of the fiery magic remained.

The princess keeled over slightly from such a burst of power, but managed to recover quickly as she hurried over to her injured guardian...no, _father_, she thought, smiling broadly as the word warmed her from the inside out.

She'd longed for a father again; ever since Cora had taken Henry's heart and banished him to Wonderland under the false pretenses that he had been unfaithful after catching him at the local pub while he was having a drink with a young girl. Cora hadn't given him the chance to explain that Charlotte was in fact Henry's niece. Her father had left she and Henry's sister Katrina when Charlotte was seven. He had claimed to be going on a hunting expedition and never returned. No one knew whether he died, or if he had gone away on some other business entirely, never intending to come back in the first place. As a result, Henry had become a father figure to Charlotte, and she had asked him there that night to obtain his blessing for her marriage to the town's baker, Corey Patterson. When Cora saw them together, she was enraged, and Henry hadn't had but a second to breathe before she took his heart and tossed it in a portal, banishing him to Wonderland for all time. Charlotte barely escaped with her life, and Regina never saw her again.

Anger ignited in Regina and, summoning all her love for her father, her cousin, Rumple, and Bae into her hands, she pressed her palms against the sorcerers chest, which was flaming to the touch and beating furiously. Her mother watched in agonized disbelief as the princess' hands waved slowly over the wound Cora had inflicted, intricate strands of white magic weaving together the broken skin until it was healed.

Regina smiled. "I bet you're glad you taught me how to do that," she whispered into his ear, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Her immobilization spell was beginning to wear off now, and Rumple gave her a wink as he replied.

"That I am, dearie," he smiled warmly, heart bursting with pride for his new daughter. "Now, what do you say we get out of here?"

She nodded, and threw her arms around him, surprising the sorcerer, but he quickly hugged her back.

Running a hand through her long black curls he whispered, "Let's go home."

Regina grabbed hold of his lapels and smiled, giving little care to her mother when the sorceress' anguished screams rang out as father and daughter vanished into thin air.

By the time the pair tumbled back into the Great Hall of the Dark Castle, the princess was carrying almost all of the sorcerer's weight. He was slumped over and his breathing came in heavy pants. "Rumple! Rumple, are you alright?" Regina asked desperately, examining him thoroughly to make sure there were no further injuries.

"I'm...I'm f- f- fine, dearie…" he mumbled. But when he unwound his arm from where it was draped over her shoulders and tried to take a step forward, he staggered so far he almost face planted onto the oak floor before his daughter could catch him.

She threw herself forward and wrapped her arm about his waist, struggling to get him upright again. Oh, no, you're not!" she scolded worriedly, "You need to rest. I'm taking you up to your room."

"Really, Regina, there's no need for-" but when he teetered after being let go of for the briefest of seconds as she fixed him with a penetrating stare that almost mirrored his own, the sorcerer clamped his mouth shut and grumbled a resigned, "Fine."

The princess smiled triumphantly, "Good." Then she called. "Bae? Can you come in here for a minute?"

The boy's ears perked up, and he dropped his quill back in the inkwell before sliding off the dining room chair. He'd been anxiously awaiting their return for over an hour, as Rumple had deemed their voyage too dangerous for him to join them, but soon grew restless and attempted to distract himself by taking Regina's advice and starting a new story based on the history of the evil russian mage Rasputin. As soon as the princess's voice echoed off the walls, the boy was out of his chair and sprinting toward the front all, excited to welcome her back and hear how the encounter with Cora had gone. He skidded to an abrupt stop however, when he saw his father hunched over Regina's shoulders as she tried to keep him upright.

"What happened?" he asked, sprinting closer to the pair as his features clouded with alarm.

"My mother got a bit...ruthless, and your father stepped in the path of one of her fireballs trying to protect me," Regina sighed.

Baelfire's eyes widened and he worriedly bit his lip, "Is he gonna be ok?"

"He will be," Regina assured his frightened son, "But he needs to rest. Help me get him up to his room will you?"

The boy nodded and quickly took his fathers left arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. Together they carefully carried the older man across the parlor, but Bae frowned when they reached the bottom of the tall staircase, "I don't think we can make it all the way up there with him like this, do you?"

Regina shook her head and furrowed her brows, trying to think of an alternative way to get the sorcerer upstairs. If she had the energy and know-how, she would've tried teleporting herself and her new father; but he hadn't taught her that spell yet. While she was learning at an impressive rate, that was much too advanced, and truth be told, though she was better off than Rumple, she was still exhausted from the battle with her mother. Finally she said, "Let's take him to the chair in the parlor, he can rest there and we'll get him up to his room later." The boy nodded and together they limped in the direction of the living room. As soon as Rumple settled in his chair, Regina draped a warm blanket over him and he immediately drifted to sleep.

* * *

A few days later, Rumple was still on bedrest and Bae and Regina were in the kitchen trying to make him a special lamb stew for lunch. Her magic had healed most of the injuries for his fight with Cora, but she, his son, and Mrs. Potts insisted he stay in bed for the remainder of the week to replenish his strength. At first, the sorcerer had grumbled and groaned, saying he had too many important deals to make to "sit around like a lazy layabout." But when, after two days, he still hadn't the strength to perform more than the simplest of charms without exhausting himself, he'd reluctantly agreed, knowing he would be of little help to anyone in such a state. Regina had been incredibly distraught at his lack of strength, wondering if perhaps her healing spells had somehow malfunctioned. But Rumple's best friend Jefferson, a Portal Jumper and fellow Mage, had come by to see him and had assured her that his weakness was in no way her doing, and that it came from Cora's most severe injury; the one that had once been a gaping wound so close to his heart.

"A heart," he'd explained "is the symbol of love, and love is the source of all light magic." Regina had healed the worst of it, but the injury was deep, and would take time. Once it was fully healed, his strength, and magic, would return in full.

"So, how small should I chop these carrots? They're going in Papa's stew right? So they can probably be pretty big," Bae mused, reaching up for the largest knife in the kitchen.

"No!" Regina's alarmed shriek echoed around the room and she leapt over to where the boy was standing, throwing herself in between Bae and the knife block. The sharp tone and volume of her voice caused tears to well in Bae's eyes and his bottom lip quivered as he tried to hold them back, but a few stray ones slipped down his cheeks

Regina winced at the boy's reaction; she hadn't meant to make him cry, she was just afraid he'd cut himself. "Oh, I'm sorry," she soothed, much more quietly as she took him in her arms, hugging him tightly. "I was worried, that's all. I panicked. I know you're older than you look, but to me you're still too young to be using knives like that."

After a few moments, Regina could feel Bae's arms squeeze around her in silent forgiveness. "I was only trying to help," he squeaked against her chest and Regina could feel a pang of guilt swirling in her stomach.

"I know," she assured him, gently. "Here, why don't you wash these potatoes?" She handed Bae a bag of spuds so large, he could barely carry them over to the table.

Suddenly the kitchen window burst open and in flew a white blur, zooming around the room and dropping white fuzz everywhere. Eventually, it stopped and it's feathers settled to reveal the panting form of a dove.

"What? What's happened?" he squarked loudly, flapping his wings in a most agitated manner. "I heard screaming!" The bird cocked his head to one side and eyed the pair suspiciously.

"Oh, Witherspoon," Regina sighed and brought her hand down from where it had flown up to her chest in fright, her heart beating wildly even as she identified the flying phenomenon. "It's you!"

"Yes, of course it's me," he replied, slightly irritated, "Who else do you know that can fly?"

Bae laughed, "Oh, you'd be surprised," he smirked.

The bird simply ruffled his feathers and looked around, "Is everything alright? I heard screaming."

"Oh yes, we're both fine. Regina was just looking out for me," Bae assured his feathery friend as he continued to drag the heavy sack of tubers across the kitchen, "I was trying to cut carrots with Papa's big knives."

Witherspoon's tiny frame visibly sagged with relief for a moment, before he drew himself up importantly and gestured to the crisp, cream envelope sitting on the counter by his feet.

"Well, as long as you're all alright," he replied, "I'm here to deliver this," and his deceptively sharp beak pointed down to the letter.

"What is it?" Regina asked, curious to know who could possibly be sending mail to The Dark One now that Cora had been dealt with. "Rumple never gets letters," she mused.

"Oh, let's open it, Regina!" Bae was practically hopping up and down, the excitement bubbling behind his twinkling eyes. He rushed over and grabbed the letter, glanced at the writing on the front and flipped it over, ready to tear it open. Suddenly he stopped and gasped.

"What? What is it?" enquired Regina, a hint of concern in her voice.

"It's the seal," breathed the boy and he traced over it with his fingers. "It's a royal crest."

Both the young woman and the bird moved over to where Bae stood and cast their own eyes over the deep crimson wax that sealed an apparently important letter. They wondered what on earth would warrant a letter from royalty; usually, if they wanted Rumple to strike a deal, the had to but call his name and, as was his dagger curse, he was obliged to answer. Bae's voice rang out once again.

"I say we open it!" He didn't wait for their approval, ripping open the envelope to reveal a single, stiff rectangle embellished with a border of intricate golden swirls. Six eager eyes studied the paper, digesting the information it bore.

_King David Noland Swan and Queen Snow Lucina Swan of Weiss Land_

_request the presence of Rumplestiltskin and Family_

_at the Coming Of Age Ball of their daughter_

_Princess Emma Ruth Swan _

_on the evening of Saturday 16th April at 7 PM_

"A royal ball?" Bae squealed, dancing a jig around the room and laughing.

"It appears so," mumbled Regina, the excitement not quite so evident in her name Snow was almost as bad as Red Rose, and a small seed of anger sparked inside her as she thought of the little princes who had inadvertently killed her True Love, but she tried to push it aside as she studied the paper further. "But who are these people? The King and Queen of Weiss Land? I've never heard of them."

"Yes, dear, but remember, your existence before you came here was a sheltered one. There is much you have yet to learn about this kingdom and the ones surrounding it," explained Witherspoon as he hopped over to the open window and prepared to leave for his next errand. "If I were you, I'd ask the Master," and with that, he spread his wings and flew off into the chilly sunlight.

* * *

"Papa, papa! We made soup to help you feel better!"

The weakened wizard smiled widely and propped himself up on his elbows as the excitable young boy made a beeline for him, Regina following cautiously behind with a piping hot bowl of the stew.

"My word, you certainly have been busy!" he exclaimed, grateful for the company more than anything else. Having to lie alone day after day and recuperate was, Rumple considered, a monumental waste of his time and also rather lonely.

"And we've received a letter. Well, an invitation actually," revealed Regina as she placed the scalding bowl on Rumple's bedside table, "to a royal ball."

Try as he might, there was no stopping the confusion in his mind from leaking through onto his face as he admitted, "My, my, well, it has been a long time since I've been invited to a ball!" He took the invitation from Regina and studied it carefully. "Ah," he whispered, spotting the names, as though he now understood.

"Rumple… uh, who is that?" Regina probed, "Emma Ruth? And who are the King and Queen of Weissland? I've never heard of them."

Rumple laughed a bit, "Ahh, now _there_'s a name I haven't heard in a while."

"So...you know them?" Bae asked, his eyes shining.

"Indeed I do," Rumple nodded, taking the soup from the nightstand and slowly sipping a spoonful. A smile spread across his face, "Mm, this is wonderful! Where did you get this recipe, Bae? I don't remember making this before."

"It was Regina's," his son smiled, and the girl blushed.

"My nursemaid, Isabelle, always made it for me when I was sick," she explained, "I'm glad you like it."

Rumple licked his lips and took another bite, "I do, dearie, very much. When I get out of this infernal bed, you must teach me how to make it."

"I'd be glad to," Regina beamed, "but only if you teach me how to make those scrumptious caramel cookies of yours. They were amazing!"

Rumple laughed, "It's a deal dearie," he took her hand and shook it playfully before putting the bowl back down. "Now, where were we?"

"You were going to tell us how you know the King and Queen of Weiss Land, Papa," his son enthused.

"Ah yes. But it's a rather long story; are you sure you want to know?".

Bae and Regina smiled at each other; Rumple was famous for his stories. They came closer and perched on the sides of the bed, grinning expectantly.

"Alright," the sorcerer laughed, "Then get comfortable, because this may take a bit."

The pair didn't move, and Rumple simply shook his head ruefully.

"Let's see now… Well first and foremost, Snow wasn't always a Queen, and David wasn't always a King. Once upon a time, she was the daughter of the Royal Huntsman of King Gustav's kingdom and he was a common shepard from the the kingdom of Cebola."

"So...they didn't know each other? Did you help them meet, Papa? Is that why we're invited to this ball?"

"Wait and see, my boy," Rumple chuckled as he ruffled his son's hair affectionately. "When Snow was about twelve years of age, wolves were running rampant, killing hundreds of livestock and destroying farms, which were the main source of income for the kingdom. He ordered the huntsman, a broadly built, friendly man by the name of Graham Hubert, to go after the wolf pack with his men, and kill them. But what Graham had never told anyone was that he had been raised by wolves; this very pack, in fact. His parents had been killed when he was naught but a wee babe; attacked in the woods by a bear when they had gone camping. The wolves took the huntsman in; raised him like a pup until a group of villagers came across the pack, found him, and took him home."

"So did he go after them? He didn't, right? They're his family!" Bae enthused, looking at his father anxiously.

"No, he didn't. He went to the king and refused to go after the wolves. The king tried to reason with Graham, but he wouldn't have it. Nor would he give up the reason for defying an order, afraid that divulging his secret would ruin his reputation, and to be frank, he didn't think his personal life should be the king's business."

"Good for him!" Bae cheered.

"The king was furious and sent his own guards out to kill them."

"Oh no!" Regina gasped.

"Graham was terrified," Rumple continued, "So he snuck out and joined his pack, leaving false trails along the way to throw the hunting dogs off the scent."

"Did it work?" Bae asked curiously.

"For a time," his father nodded, "But eventually the guards caught up. Most of the pack got away; thanks to Graham's fighting skills, though a few were shot and killed."

"What happened to Graham and his daughter?" Regina wondered.

"The guards brought him back to the castle and told the king what had happened and Graham and his daughter Snow were banished to a cottage in the Sherwood Forests."

"But he was just trying to help!" Regina protested, "That's so unfair!"

"Aye, dearie, it is. But everything works out in the end."

"What happened next, Papa?"

"Well, eventually, Snow became a bandit; stealing what she could from the King's carriages. Those profits in addition to her father selling game to the Cebola kingdom, where no one knew of his former reputation."

"The Cebola kingdom?" Bae asked, "But that's where David's from!"

"Exactly! You see, one day, Snow mistook a Cebola carriage for one of King Gustav's. David, masquerading as King George's, the ruler of Cebola, son James, was riding in the carriage with King Midas' daughter Abigail, of the Eastern kingdom."

Bae scrunched his brows together and chewed his lip in silent confusion, "Why was David masquer- mascara-...pretending to be a prince, Papa?"

"Masquerading, my boy," Rumple smiled, "And he was doing it to save his mother's farm."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. You see, King George and his wife were unable to have children. They tried many, many times, desperately seeking an heir to the throne, but never succeeded."

"That's so sad," Regina commenting, thinking it was a shame that often times people who _wanted _children never had them, while people like her mother were given too many things to appreciate.

"Indeed, Regina," his gaze softened and he patted her hand reassuringly before continuing, "His wife slowly begin to succomb to depression from not being able to provide for her husband. George hated to see her so unhappy, so he called on me. He prepared to pay any price I wanted, if only I could grant him a child. He didn't know it, but at the time, I was still searching for Baelfire; I only found him around ten years ago, but back then I had no idea he was imprisoned in Neverland, and feared I would have to find a way to cast The Curse of the Broken hearted, also known as the Dark Curse so that I could journey to the Land Without Magic, and find him."

Both Bae and Regina gasped audibly.

"The curse was designed so that when the caster and those chosen to accompany them would be given new lives in the Otherworld, and forget their True Selves. I knew that I could never find you without my memories Bae, so I wanted to build in a fail-safe. I had Seen that if a bandit and a prince were wed in marriage, their offspring would be the product of True Love, and the one person who could break the curse."

"But...you said David was a shepherd…" his son repeated.

"He was. At first. And so was his twin brother, James."

"But-"

"Just listen, lad," his father laughed, "It'll all make sense, I promise."

Baelfire nodded and clamped his mouth shut.

"You see, just days before George asked me for a child; a poor mother of two twin boys had begged me to help her find a way to save her farm. I went back to that farm after being summoned by the king and proposed a deal between the two. King George could provide Ruth, the mother, with enough money to sustain her farm if one of her sons was allowed to be adopted by George, and raised as a prince. Ruth was hesitant at first, but she wanted to give both of her boys their best chance, so she agreed. She gave James to George and his wife to raise in the palace, and reared David herself. For a time, everything was as it should have been. Until one day, just weeks before his wedding to Princess Abigail; a union designed to align the two kingdoms and bail Cebola out of debt, James was killed in battle."

"Oh no!" Regina and Bae chroused.

"Again, George summoned me,, and ordered me to go back to the farm and collect David, who would become his new heir and take the marriage vows in James' place. If he didn't agree, King George would take his family's farm to help pay the debt."

"That's a horrible thing to do!" Regina gasped, and Rumple nodded.

"Aye, my girl, but desperate times sometimes qualify desperate measures. David agreed, and it was his and Abigail's carriage Snow robbed that day. David went after her, as in her heist she had stolen his mother's ring, which was to be his engagement jewel to Abigail. She was caught, and they met for the first time. Unfortunately, she had already sold the ring to the Bridge Trolls, so she and David, whom she called Charming, went to retrieve it, and she ended up saving him from getting killed by the trolls. With the ring back, they parted ways; but David knew he could no longer marry the princess; for the bandit had also stolen his heart. It was then that I realized the prince from my vision was actually a shepherd in disguise. I enchanted the ring and helped him find Snow again, asking only a lock of hair from them each to use in my True Love potion as my price. Of course, only a few years later, I found you Bae, but it looks like my vision was right after all." he finished.

"So, is that why they invited you to this ball, Papa? to thank you?"

I don't know my boy," Rumple mused, "but I would assume so." He glanced down at the invitation again. "Now you two better hurry and get ready. We only have a matter of hours before we need to be at the castle," he grinned as his children lept of the bed and rushed to get changed.

"And call my servants will you? I need some help getting out of this blasted contraption before I strangle myself in the sheets. I swear, how a teapot manages to tuck the covers so tight, I will never know."

"She only did it because she knew you'd try to get up otherwise," Regina jested, "But sure, I'll tell them to come help you."

Rumple smirked, "Get on, you little trouble maker."

* * *

The carriage bounced along the gravel road toward the Weissl Land palace. Ordinarily, they would've just transported there, but Rumple was still weak, so they opted to ride instead. Regina walked nervously beside her companions, fingering the pearls on her ornate, lavender dress that Chelle had spent all afternoon painstakingly sewing. It was a beautiful, silken fabric that swayed elegantly as she walked. There was scalloped trim on the outer hoop skirt and it traced her chest in a well fitting sweetheart neckline. The seamstress had truly outdone herself. But even in the glorious gown; Regina's stomach was a bundle of nerves. It was the first time she'd been out in public since coming to live with Rumple and Bae, and the constant stares were making her anxious. She could hear the hushed whispers behind her back and she was sure they were condemning her to life as an outcast. Rumple laid a comforting hand on her shoulder as they crowded into the ballroom with the hundreds of other guests. Four stairs cloaked in a pearly white fabric led up to a makeshift stage where three Ivory thrones engraved with golden swan emblems and adorned with metallic gold cushions, sat. The King and Queen came and stood in the front of the platform, smiling broadly.

"Welcome one and all," Snow's clear, sweet voice rang out through the hall, "to this wondrous celebration. We are so thankful that all of you could join us as we honor our daughter, Emma Ruth Swan, as she comes of age to assume her royal duties, and began to prepare to assume the crown upon her 21st birthday. As we look back…"

But the rest of the words became meaningless white noise the minute Regina's eyes locked on the princess. She was immediately mesmerized by her beauty, at a loss for words as she tried to process the goddess standing in front of her. Emma's eyes were a bright emerald, sparking even in the chaos of the ballroom. They were alight with joy, but there was also something else perched there, a fire, a determination that compelled the miller's daughter. As if she did not wish to be put on display, but respected it as a duty of her title, even if she would rather be anywhere but up on that stage. Her curls cascaded down her back like a brilliant waterfall of liquid gold, but there was a certain messiness in them as well; a nonchalantly, 'I don't really care what I look like as long as I feel like me' that Regina admired. Moving to her dress, she was surprised to see Emma had chosen a rich burgundy red color and a sleek, mermaid fit that hugged her in all the right places instead of the traditional pale pink full gown that was usually worn in these ceremonies.

Everything about this mysterious princess intrigued the former miller's daughter. but especially the powerful demeanor that Regina could sense even halfway in the back of the room. Before she knew it, the Queen's speech was over, and she, the King, and Emma Ruth had stepped off the stage and were heading out onto the floor to join the party guests. Hoards of people crowded around the princess, congratulating her over and over on her finally coming of age.

Regina slowly wandered away from her companions, an invisible force propelling her toward the royal and her crowd of admirers like a magnet. For reasons she was at a loss to explain, she had to meet this alluring princess.

She weaved her way through the crowd as elegantly as she could, but when she came within an arms reach of Emma, she stopped cold. What was she doing? She didn't know this girl; what would she say when she asked her where she came from? Was she brave enough to admit she lived with the Dark One? Regina shook her head rapidly; this was ridiculous. She couldn't just waltz up to a girl she didn't know, a _princess_ no less, and introduce herself for no reason! She turned, preparing to hurry awake and back to the safety of Rumple and his son. But before she could take another step, a hand grabbed her arm. Regina turned around, only to come face to face with the princess herself.

* * *

Emma had felt someone watching her up on stage. Of course, everyone was watching her; no matter how much she had insisted to her parents that she hated this kind of attention, they were determined that she would go through with it.

"It is, after all, your duty as a royal Emma," her mother had insisted. Emma just sighed.

But this watching felt different; a pair of eyes were locked on her, and her alone, she just knew it.

She looked around until she found them. They belonged to a girl she'd never seen before, a beautiful woman with long, brunette tresses placed elegantly atop her head, and kind, sable eyes that seemed to sense everything Emma was feeling without even knowing her. Her lavender dress distinguished her from the crowd of brightly dressed nobles, and Emma was intrigued by the telling glint in her eye; as if she had seen more in her short life than she ever hoped to see, and that she had a long and intriguing, but somber tale to tell. When she'd stepped of the stage, Emma had immediately scanned the crowd for the brunette, and was delighted to see she was making her way forward. But just as she came close enough for Emma to call her over, she started to turn away. Almost instinctually, Emma had weaved her way out of the adoring, but tedious crowd, and followed the intriguing knew visitor. She gently took hold of her arm before she could once again become lost in the crowd of party goers.

"Hi," she smiled kindly,releasing her arm when the girl turned to face her. "I'm Emma."

* * *

Regina gasped in surprise as she came face to face with the princess and immediately bent down in a curtsy, "Your Highness!" she breathed nervously, "I, I'm Regina."

The princess laughed and gently helped the girl out of her awkward position, "Nice to meet you Regina," she said, her eyes sparkling with pleasure, "And please, it's Emma. _Just _Emma."

**And….Let the SwanQueen begin! I know, finally right? Hehehe! What did you think of Rumple and Cora's battle? And how did you like my twist on Snow White's background? Next time….be prepared for some full on fluff as our favorite ladies discover each other and enjoy their first enchanting evening together!**


	4. It Was Enchanting to Meet You

**A/N: This chapter is a bit shorter, but I wanted to focus on uninterrupted SQ fluff for their first meeting :) (Don't worry, PLENTY more to come, and I think the next one will be nice and long :D) Little heads up, university has started again (ugh) so if these updates are more sporadic, that's why, but rest assured that ooncer and I are still fully committed to this piece! Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show.**

* * *

**4**

**It Was Enchanting to Meet You **

The pair slowly weaved their way through the crowd to find a place to sit and enjoy the buffet worth of food the royal chef had prepared for the event, though it wasn't much of a problem as most of the crowd parted like the Red Sea when their gaze landed on Emma.

Regina's eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of all the dishes lining the lengthy take that was clocked in a white cloth embroidered with golden swans. Sure, she'd been forced to attend royal feasts back in her mother's palace; but as it was usually only herself, princess Red Rose, Leopold, and a few court members on occasion, so the banquets were actually fairly small, especially compared to this. Her mother would be aghast if she saw the mountains of food stationed here. It made their own meals look like peasant fare She sniggered at the thought of how livid her mother would be if she saw this. Imagining the reddish tint and flaming, unladylike nostrils that would surely accompany Cora's usually pristine features when she laid eyes on such a sight made the former princess grin from ear to ear.

There were several long tables lining the back wall, each one covered in more food than the last. There was smoked pheasant atop a bed of rice pilaf and leafy greens, an entire roasted pig- complete with the apple in its mouth- along with various side dishes. Sweet rolls accompanied the thick and creamy potato soup that was topped with fresh cured bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives, a scrumptious looking sweet potato casserole that smelled of nutmeg and cinnamon had the brunette unconsciously licking her lips, a heaping dish of green beans in a mushroom broth and green onions was also there, along with a heaping bowl of cheesy pasta, several salads, and other dishes Regina failed to recognize, including numerous desserts.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing to a pan filled with what looked like alternating layers of cake or cookies and vanilla creme, topped with what she assumed were shavings of cocoa.

Emma eyed her quizzically, "You've never had Tiramisu?" she queried, incredulous.

Regina bit her lip to keep from laughing at the the shock in the other girls voice as she shook her head, "No, is it good?"

Emma's eyes widened in disbelief, "Gods yes, its my favorite!" she enthused, cutting a large piece for herself and placing a smaller one on the brunette's plate.

Regina blushed, smiling gaily at the princess' enthusiasm.

"Go on, try it," Emma encouraged brightly.

Regina giggled and stabbed a nice size bite of it, placing it carefully on her tongue and chewing slowly. A wide grin spread across her face as the strong flavor of espresso floated over her palette, cut by the smooth, luscious cream and light, spongy crust. "Wow," she breathed after swallowing, her sable eyes glinting with happiness, "That was..._amazing_!"

Emma laughed, and Regina admired the way her golden curls swung back and forth down her back, and her smile reached all the way up to her eyes, "Told you," she joked, sticking her tongue out.

"Indeed you did, _princess_." Regina laughed, "Now, what other delicacies can you introduce me to?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Um...I don't know…what else haven't you had?" the princess inquired curiously.

"A lot," Regina let out a bitter chuckled, "My mother...I never really was allowed to have sweets, or any rich foods actually. She...um… thought it was unbecoming for a lady to eat such things...said it would make me too plump and turn prospective husbands away…." she winced, thinking of all the times Cora had scolded her for trying to take extra food.

Emma's brows had shot into her hairline, "Really? Was she like a stuffy duchess or something?"

Regina stiffened, not wanting to reveal her true heritage just yet, "No, she was just, uh...very strict…." The brunette trailed off, not wanting to think about her mother any longer. Emma seemed to sense that, and quickly changed the subject.

"Well then," she reasoned, "you should indulge yourself. Try some of those apple turnovers," she suggested, handing Regina one, "but don't eat too much tonight, especially if you're not used to this kind of food; else you might get sick."

"I won't, don't worry," she assured her new friend as she bit into the apple pastry, relishing in the feeling of those sweet spices coating her mouth, "Mmmm!" she moaned happily, "I love apples. We used to have an apple tree when I was little. Nothing tasted better than a fresh one picked right off the branch."

"I bet!" Emma grinned, deciding to take an apple crisp for herself as well.

"And I used to love baking apple pies with my father," Regina sighed wistfully. "He used to take me to the apple orchard near our village every Yuletide. He always said it wouldn't be Noel without a fresh baked apple pie."

"That sounds so fun," the princess lamented, and Regina frowned at the sudden sad tinge to her voice, "I wish we had time to make up holiday traditions like that, but...they're always so busy running the kingdom…" she cast a quick look at her parents, mingling around the room chatting with all the stuffy nobles and official looking Court members before turning back to Regina, "Where do you live? I don't think I've seen you around here before," Emma mused as they weaved their way through the crowd to a quiet table in the corner of the ballroom.

Regina's gaze flicked back and forth, searching for the right thing to say, "I... I live in the next kingdom." she finally rambled, still not quite meeting the other girl's gaze.

"Oh?" Emma asked, "I go to Avonlea almost every weekend for Market Day; I wonder why I haven't seen you there before. Do you sell something in the market?"

"No," Regina shook her head, "I don't sell anything. In fact, I hardly ever go to the market. I'm teaching my little brother how to ride and Saturdays are when we usually have lessons."

"You ride?"' the princess' eyes sparkled with amazement, "That's so cool!"

"Yeah, I love it," Regina beamed before she realized something and her brows scrunched together in confusion, "Wait...don't you as well? Ride, I mean? Being a princess and all I would think…" she started. Then she remembered how long it took her father to convince Cora to let Daniel teach her when she was younger. She clamped her mouth shut when she saw Emma's longing expression.

"I wish!" she huffed, moving her food around on her plate. "I want to learn so badly, but Dad says its too dangerous."

Regina snorted, "Riding a horse more dangerous than one of those bumpy carriages, which, I might add, are much more conspicuous and easy targets for thieves? Yeah right!"

"Those things are the worst!" Emma gripped, laughing a bit, "We went to visit Agrabah last month for Aladdin wedding to Jasmine, and by the time we got there, I'd been bounced around so much that my hair looked like we'd been caught in a sandstorm and the blisters on my backside were so bad I couldn't sit for a week!"

Regina shook head in amusement, "Boy, do I ever know _that _feeling!" she empathized, thinking of all the times her mother had made her sit in the carriage throughout those precariously long journeys. "You never have that problem on a horse; though you _do _get sore legs and thighs if you ride too long without stopping, but never blisters! If you train them right, their gait can be so smooth you almost feel like you're flying!" her eyes shown with excited passion.

"Gait?" Emma asked, knowing nothing about horse terminology.

Regina nodded, "That's the fancy term for the way a horse walks."

"Oh," Emma smiled, "Guess I learned something new."

"Horses can teach you all kinds of things," the former princess said, "They're great friends, first time I fell off Rocinante, my stallion, he stayed right next to me and neighed so loud I was sure the entire Enchanted Forest could hear us, until, Daniel, my um...riding instructor..." she fumbled, fighting the urge to wince as she thought about her ex-fiancee. Why was it that _everything _seemed to make her think of him, even when she was with another gorgeous...did she really just call Emma gorgeous? Had he said it out loud? she shook her head when she noticed the blonde staring at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

Regina nodded a little to fast, "I'm fine," she insisted, "Just got lost in thought for a minute, sorry."

Emma smiled and flicked her wrist, "Its ok, I've done hat before too. Especially during those boring council meetings Mom makes me go to," she assured her.

Regina laughed. "Oh, I bet! Now, what was I saying before my mind got ahead of my mouth?" she wondered teasingly.

Emma nudged her shoulder playfully, "You were telling me about the first time you fell off your horse," she supplied.

"Oh, Right. Rocinante stayed with me the whole time, neighing an alarm until Daniel found us. He even tried to lick clean a nasty cut that 'd gotten on my leg; though of course I didn't let him. He's a pretty clean horse, but I didn't want it to get infected."

"Wow," Emma whistled, clearly impressed, "I didn't know horses understood stuff like that!"

"Mm hmm, they're really smart. Once you bound with them enough, they can get to the point where you swear they understand what you want them to do do before you even ask!"

"Cool," Emma grinned enthusiastically.

Regina smiled, "Plus, they're just plain fun to ride!"

Emma sighed, "I wish I could convince my father of that. Sometimes I swear he thinks I'm a china doll or something. Any animal bigger than a Great Dane and he has to be right there beside me before I can even _touch _it, let alone ride it," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. It's _so _annoying!"

Regina chuckled, "You'll convince him eventually. It took me _weeks _to persuade Bae to get on one, but now he loves riding so much, he never wants to get _off. _His dad almost always has to threaten him with extra chores to get him to come inside."

"Bae? Is that your little brother?" her eyes sparkled with intrigue, "How old is he? I've always wanted a sibling."

"Well he's not uh…" she bit her lip, silently cursing herself for bringing up Bae so soon. How was she going to get out of this one? "Yes, I do," she finally said, deciding to just go with it. As long as she didn't know his full name...but then, she hadn't known Rumple had a son, and neither, she suspected, did most people, so what was the harm in it? "He's ten and very sweet. We love doing things together," she smiled, recalling their most recent adventures. Then she saw Emma's longing smile and said a bit too cheerily, "You must have plenty of people around though, I bet you don't have time to think!"

Emma snorted at that, a slight bitter edge to her voice, "Do I ever!" she groaned, "but most of them are servants, maids, tutors- that sort of thing," she wrung her hands a bit uncomfortably, "I- I don't really have many friends," she confessed. "Not real ones anyway. Most people only want me for my title..."

Regina sighed and placed a reassuring hand on the other girl's shoulder. She knew more about that than she cared to divulge, and managed to stop herself just before revealing her true identity. "Sometimes I wonder why it's so easy to forget that princesses are people too," she sympathized.

Emma simply shook her head, "I wish I knew. It's like they see a crown and hear the magic words 'Princess' or 'King and Queen' and suddenly that's all you are to them. A public figure there to protect them instead of an actual person just trying to figure out your life the same way everyone else does."

"Right!" Regina exclaimed, "And no time to yourself, always people bustling around you." _Finally_, someone who knew the truths about the years of royal life she had endured at the hands of her mother. Then, suddenly realizing she may have revealed too much, she lowered her voice and added, "I mean, I imagine that's what it's like."

"Exactly!" Emma laughed, taking little notice to the brunette's sudden discomfort. "They barge in whether you want them or not, and expect you to have the meaning of life in the palm of your hand!" she huffed, "I swear, some days…I really thought about running away and giving it all up...I thought, if I could just have one day to myself…" she blushed, realizing how much of herself she was revealing to this girl who was all but a complete stranger. Ordinarily, she'd want to crawl in a hole and hide after admitting such a vulnerable confession. But something in Regina's kind gaze kept her from retreating; as if she knew exactly what that felt like, and she understood completely. Emma smiled, "Sometimes, I wish for a childhood like my mom had. Always running free in the woods, no other duties to follow except keeping yourself alive and a roof over your head."

Then she looked down, cheeks reddening in embarrassment, "I know that must sound ridiculous. Mother says I should be thankful for the life I have, and that I didn't have to grow up the way she and grandpa did; they were bandits, you see, and they had a pretty rough time for awhile and…" Emma sighed, "I don't know… Most of the time I am grateful. I know I'm incredibly lucky. but sometimes..." she trailed off, catching herself before she could ramble any longer, "Sorry…" she flushed.

"Don't worry," Regina smiled and waved it off, remembering all too well how it felt to wish for someone she could confide in. "I know what it's like to feel like you don't fit in."

"You do?" Emma asked, having a hard time believing someone as beautiful and charming as Regina would ever have difficulty fitting in.

The brunette nodded solemnly, and Emma was disappointed to see her eyes lose a bit of their spark, "Very well." she confided, "My mother...well, she was always more interested in helping me climb the social ladder than anything else. She even went as far as to tell me when I was younger that I couldn't play with anyone if they weren't of noble status.

"Really?" the princess was shocked. Strict as her parents were, they _never _placed rules on her friendships. She couldn't fathom why Regina's mother would do such a thing.

"Yes," she said sadly. "I tried to fit in with them, but I never really could. I liked riding and reading and swimming in the creek; they liked playing dress up and throwing fancy tea parties," she smirked.

Emma's expression soured at that, but she grinned before saying, "I like you're idea of fun better."

Regina laughed.

Suddenly, the Queen's voice rang through the hall, "_Emma,"_ she called, her tone sweet, but impatient.

The blondes head whipped around and she cringed when she saw the look on Snow's face,"Oh, I'd better go," she sighed, "my mother is giving me the eyes."

"The eyes?"

"Mmm, the eyes," Emma huffed, clearly annoyed that their time was being interrupted, "It's her unwritten signal for _Come along, Emma, you're not spending enough time with all these stuffy, important people who've come to the ball just to see you._" She gave a hollow laugh that Regina could sympathize with.

"You'd better go then, _Your Highness_," teased the brunette, trying to lift her spirits as she rose from her seat at the same time as the princess.

"Ha ha," Emma deadpanned, mocking offence and sticking her tongue out.

Regina smirked, raising an eyebrow in playful askanase. She was happy to have taken the chance to come out tonight, and pleasantly surprised at how much she and Emma had in common. Her cheeks pinkened when she realized the next thougght on her mind was when she could see her again. Then she had an idea. She hesitated a bit, biting her lip as she called, "Wait," just before the princess could get up and leave.

"Yes?" Emma grinned as she turned back to face her, glad to be distracted for a little longer.

Regina gulped, suddenly sigh. She dropped her gaze to the floor and fumbled for the right words, "I know you don't have a lot of time," she finally squeaked out, looking up shyly at Emma, "Y- you know, to yourself, I mean, but, if ever…" she trailed off, inwardly scolding herself for such a stupid notion.

But then Emma asked, "If ever what?" and the brunette could hear the smile in her voice.

Her heart soared in her chest and she slowly lifted her head up to lock gazes with the blonde, clearing her throat to try again, "I mean, um, If...on one of those Saturday's you go out… you're ever visiting my kingdom and wanting someone to talk to...or... just hang out with… well, my brother wouldn't mind skipping a few lessons..." she stopped again, realizing how inconceivable this offer was. As if the princess would ever have enough free time to spend with _her_, a miller's daughter! Her mother would be doubled over laughing right now! Regina cringed, waiting anxiously for the rejection she was certain was about to come.

Instead, Emma's eyes immediately lit up at the unexpected invitation, "I'd love to!" she enthused.

Regina's gaze met with hers and she and gasped, startled that Emma was actually thinking about accepting that fumbled invite, "Really?" she asked incredulously.

The princess's head bobbed up and down so fast that Regina had to bit her cheeks to keep from laughing, her sable eyes alight with joy, "Absolutely!" Emma assured her. "My parents and I are headed to Avonlea next week for the annual Spring Carnival...maybe I'll see you there?" she asked hesitantly.

Regina could barely contain her excitement, "That would be great!" she enthused, unable to believe her luck. Maybe Rumple was right, and she wasn't the failure her mother thought her to be after all. Then her face drooped slightly, "Oh, but I promised my brother I'd take him…"

Emma waved her hand dismissively , "That's ok, I love kids!"

"Are you sure?" Regina's brows scrunched together in a mixture of disappointment and confusion. Disappointment that it wouldn't be just the two of them, and confusion that someone of Emma's station would be willing to spend time with, not only Regina, but her kid brother as well. "He can be a bit…mischievous, especially when he gets excited.

"I'm positive," Emma assured her with a bright smile, "It'll be fun!"

Regina laughed, "If you say so."

"I do," Emma grinned as she turned and strutted off towards her disgruntled mother, only to twirl around and call back, "See you next week!"

Regina's grin was so wide she thought her face might split in half, "See you!" she waved.

That night, she floated home on cloud nine, thoughts of the blonde and their upcoming...could she call it a date?...whirling around in her mind like a blissful dream.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed! Next up, the carnival! What kind of games or contests would you like to see Regina and Emma enter? And what kind of mischief will Bae get into? :)**


	5. To The FairGround We Will Go

**A/N: So...this kinda ran away from us haha. It was supposed to be the entire carnival, but as it is already 5k+ words long, I decided to split it in order to not have to rush past all the coming fluffiness. it is only just the very beginning of the fun ooncer and I have planned for the carnival! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show.**

**5**

**To The Fairground We Will Go **

Bae barrelled into the room and launched himself onto Regina's purple duvet, bouncing up and down so hard that the former princess was nearly catapulted out of her bed,

"It's today! It's today!" he shrieked, the sound entirely too chipper for this early in the morning.

Regina's eyes popped open in alarm "Bae!" she groaned, "Stop rocking the bed! I feel like I'm on a pirate ship!"

The young boy flushed and immediately stopped jumping, "Sorry Regina, I was just trying to wake you up," he insisted sweetly.

"Uh huh, sure," she droned dryly while trying to stifle a yawn. "What for? It's way too early for you to be so hyper." Though, in reality, sun was streaming down and she could hear birdsongs out her window. Still, she _had not _asked for a wake up call, much less one from her high strung kid brother.

Last night she'd stayed up til the wee hours of the morning, unable to slight her mind as endless questions tumbled around in her head in excitement for the next day's festivities. She felt as if she'd just closed her eyes.

"NUh uh." Bae smiled mischievously and his shaggy mop flopped into his eyes as he resumed hopping around on her bed in an effort to wake her. "It's eight thirty Regina! If we don't leave soon, we'll be late for the festival."

At the reminder, the brunette shot out of bed, a million thoughts racing through her head at once.

It was Saturday. The day she was supposed to meet Emma at Avonlea's Annual Spring Carnival.

A slow, wide grin spread over her face and her heart hammered in nervous anticipation. She threw off the covers. dashing to her armoire and rummaging frantically through her clothes. There were plenty of fancy gowns that would be perfect for royal balls, but nothing that seemed equipt for a day like today. What could she wear so that she looked cute, but not too sexy? To seem like she'd tried, but not spent hours preparing? Dress after dress she pulled, but nothing seemed right. Finally, she sank to her knees with a disgruntled sigh of frustration, "Chelle, what am I going to do?" she asked the wardrobe, clearly frazzled. "I have _nothing _to wear!"

"Nothing to wear?" Bae scoffed jokingly, "It looks like a dress shop threw up in here!"

"Oh, hush boy," Michelle scolded. "We'll deal with this. _You _need to go get dressed. Your father won't let either of you leave for the fair in your pajamas!" she said pointedly.

"But-"

"No buts." She thrust a decorated handle out and lightly tapped the boy's behind. "Now get! Regina will be down for breakfast shortly."

Bae huffed, "You're no fun," he murmured, but reluctantly left the room.

The former princes smiled. It was days like today, just having something to look forward to, and friends to help her along, that gave Regina confidence she had made the right choice in coming here.

When Chelle was confident that there was no longer danger of prying eyes or little pincers with big ears, she beckoned Regina closer, "C'mere, baby, I made ya something," she exclaimed proudly. Having divulged the information about her meeting with the princess, the kindly wardrobe had simply refused to hear of Regina wearing one of her old dresses and fashioned one in secret for her, wanting it to be a surprise.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, stepping over the mountain of fabric strewn about her floor to get to the motherly wardrobe.

Chelle smiled mischieviously, "Just close your eyes, love."

Regina laughed a bit, but obeyed, shutting her sable eyes just soon enough to feel a light fabric slip over her head. Her grin widened and she groped blindly for the sleeves, not wanting to ruin the suspense until the garment was fully on her.

When her arms successfully pushed through two open holes and she felt strings tighten slightly around her waist, she asked, "Can I open them?"

"Not yet," the wardrobe said, and Regina could hear the barely tamed excitement bubbling in her voice. Regina let herself be pulled just to the left, and she became a bit dizzy when Chelle turned her around a mite too fast. "Alright," the elder woman's kind voice ricochet off the walls, "Now."

Regina opened her eyes and gaped in astonishment. She was wearing lilac gown that stopped just before her calf. It had a square neckline that showcased her tan without revealing too much, the waist was cinched with a dark plum fabric, and embroidered roses of the same shade adorned the skirt and top."Oh," she breathed, astounded,, "It's beautiful."

Chelle smiled kindly, "I'm glad you think so love,"

"I do. It's amazing!"

The wardrobe blushed, "Well, I wouldn't call it _amazing, _but…"

"No, it is!" Reginna insisted, "I think it's the finest dress I've ever worn," she complimented brightly.

Chelle beamed.

"When did you ever have time to do all this?" she queried, fingering the elegantly embroidered detail and pearls that decorated the bodice.

The wardrobe waved her arm dismissively, "Honey, I'm a seamstress. As soon as you told me about your little rendezvous with the princess, I _knew _I had to make you something. I couldn't let you go on a first date in _an old outfit_."

Regina's cheeks burned. "It- it's not a date, we're just, uh, going to the fair…" she fumbled.

Fifi snorted. "Tis vhat you say, but zhe color of your face, zhat says more than words ever will."

"Fifi!" she hissed as the blush deepened. Just then, Sophia woke from her nap and stretched on the bed, "Too loud." she moaned sleepily, "What's a big deal?"

"Zhe girl does not vant to go on her date," Fifi giggled.

"Ooh, is that today?" She leapt off the bed and her tail flicked excitedly. "Why don't you want to go? Are you nervous? Want me to cuddle with you? Cause I will."

Regina laughed, "No, really Sophie, I'm fine. And it's _not _a date!"

"Uh huh." The wardrobe chuckled and rolled her eyes at the others as she tied the last of the strings in the back of the dress. "Whatever you say, love. Now go on and get downstairs, before breakfast gets cold. You know how Chef Bouche hates that."

"Chelle!" she protested indignantly. But her friends insistences caused a flurry of butterflies to take flight in her stomach. _Was_ this a date?

The motherly armoire lightly swatted her behind, "Go on, you stubborn imp, get!" she laughed.

Regina chuckled and said a cheerful goodbye to her enchanted friends, practically skipping down the stairs for breakfast.

* * *

In the dining room, Rumple and Bae were already seated and helping themselves from large bowls of oatmeal and slices of hot buttered toast. Regina slid out her chair and sat down as she listened to Bae, who was gabbling rapidly about all the things he was planning to do at the carnival. Regina let him talk while made herself eat a few small spoonfuls of the chefs hot, cinnamon sugar and fruit oatmeal. She enjoyed hearing to him babble about the different rides and games that would be there; until once again the premise of meeting her new friend swam into the forefront of her mind.

As much as she loved this new life, her new father and brother as well as all the enchanted objects she'd met - who were also also quickly becoming more like extended family to her- Regina couldn't quell the excitement of having a friend her age, and a princess at that. She felt an innate connection with Emma, she supposed because of their similarly stifled upbringings, and was looking forward to building a relationship with her...and maybe something more. Was Chelle right? Was it really a first date in disguise? She didn't know, but the possibilities made her heart flutter in her chest. The anticipation was killing her. So much so that she only managed a few more mouthfuls of oatmeal before declaring herself full and practically dragging Bae from the table, muttering something about not being back too late. Before they could even hear Rumple call, "Enjoy yourselves, dearies!" the pair pranced merrily down the path, the door swinging loudly closed behind them.

* * *

The gentle rumble of wooden wheels over stone would usually have caused Emma's eyelids to droop as the repetitive motion lulled her to sleep, but not today. She peered out of the carriage window and watched the villages whizz by in hazes of colour amongst the trees. There was a gleam of delight in her emerald orbs as the sights and sounds of the fair flickered enticingly through her mind. What would she do today? Would it be different from the last year's? Usually she was forced to wander dutifully behind her parents while they gave "inspiring" speeches to the people of the kingdom. She never had time to actual take in the wonder was the Annual Spring Carnival. But maybe this time...Emma smiled wistfully to herself, thinking that this time, she had a friend to share it with. And maybe, eventually… Emma shook her head. No, that was preposterous. Regina would never see her that way. And yet…

Ever since the night of her coming of age ball, the princesses mind had been plagued with thoughts of the mysterious, stunning brunette. She'd never been that open or honest with _anyone _before, let alone someone she just met. Normally she was so careful about showing her feelings, especially in front of so many nobles. Her mother had warned her time and time again that there were more greedy than honest people in the world. Emma had to be careful who she trusted, because most would, and a handful had, just stab her in the back. She blinked away tears as she fingered the onyx disk engraved with a white swan that always hung around her neck. It had been a gift from the first man she loved, and the last, as it turned out. He was a prince from the Northern Isles. The youngest of twelve brothers and five sisters. When Emma was just thirteen, he had tricked her into thinking her loved her. He even went so far as to say he wanted to meet her in "their special place" to ask her a question. The princess gulped around a large lump that had formed in her throat as she thought of the way her heart had drummed excitedly inside her chest, so hard she was sure it might burst. She was positive Neal was going to ask for her hand; and she would've given it without a second thought.

But when she arrived in the orchard where they first met, it quickly became apparent that all was not as it seemed. Neal and six of his brothers had attempted to kidnap her, planning to hold her for ransom and lay siege to her parents kingdom. The only reason they didn't succeed was that Charming stopped them. Apparently, he had overheard some of Neal's brothers talking about the plan in town, and when he realized who they were and what they were saying, he immediately rode off after his daughter and the dastardly prince.

Since then, Emma had guarded her heart like a precious gem, always afraid that if anyone came close, even as a friend, they would convince her to lower her shields only to have it shattered again. She kept the pendent as a reminder to never fall in the trap of naivety again.

A part of her wondered if she was breaking that vow by chancing it like this, but somehow she know this girl was different. Regina was the first person she hadn't felt the need to be... royal around. Something in the girl's kind, wise-beyond-her-years. sable gaze had told Emma she could trust her. She wasn't sure what it was she felt for the girl just then, be it friendship; or something more. What she did know, was that, for the first time in a long time, with Regina, she didn't have to be afraid. And that alone was enough toconcince her to take a leap of faith.

"Remember, Emma," her mother began, drawing her from her daydream in an attempt to quell the rebelliousness she knew was bubbling inside her daughter at the prospect of attending an affair that didn't consist entirely of nobility, "We are here as a royal duty. We mustn't get carried away," she exclaimed pointedly with a raise of her eyebrows.

Emma just smiled in toleration. No words of caution or knowing expressions were going to deter the princess from her primary goal: a rendezvous with Regina. It had been so refreshing to speak honestly and openly with someone without feeling as though she would be judged for speaking out of turn and, ever since the ball, Emma had been looking forward to seeing her new friend once again.

It was almost second nature for Emma to subtly rebel against her parents' wishes and she had no intention of changing now, especially when there was finally the prospect of a true, _real_ friendship within her grasp.

The sun glinted off gigantic metal structures and as the bright colours of the carnival came into view, the adventures that beckoned to her from the fairground almost became too much for the sheltered princess. She longed to hitch up her skirt, kick off her uncomfortable satin shoes and run as fast as her legs could carry her across the lush grass until she reached it, but she resolved to contain herself at least until the carriage pulled to a ceremonious stop outside the entrance. Even as it came to a final halt, the young princess scanned the scene, desperately searching for the blur of dark hair that could indicate Regina.

As soon as she stepped down and felt the breeze on her face, heavy with the scent of fresh funnel cakes, Emma's impatience reached a crescendo. Barely pausing, she gave a clumsy wave in the direction of her parents before flinging off her shoes and sprinting barefoot through the grounds in search of the brunette.

The King and Queen just sighed, exchanging a half amused, half irritated look. "What are we going to do with her?" David asked ruefully.

"I don't know, Charming," Snow laughed. "She has the heart of a bandit."

* * *

"I'm tired," Bae panted heavily, stopping in his tracks and clutching his side. "And I have a stitch. Can we take a break?"

Regina huffed, but she was trying not to show her frustration. _Emma could be at the carnival already!_ And the gods only knew when her parents would drag her away to attend to some other royal business. It was a small window of opportunity Regina had, and they were already running late. No, stopping wasn't an option.

"Come on, Bae," she encouraged, turning back and grasping the boy's hand, ready to drag him along if necessary. "We're almost there now, can't you hear the sounds of the fairground?"

Bae caught his breath and his ears searched for the distant thump of music and cheering of the crowds. A ghost of a smile flickered across his features before he remembered the pain in his side from running so far. He frowned, "I still don't see why you couldn't poof us there. I mean, what's the point in Papa teaching you all that stuff if you don't use it?" he pouted. Regina exhaled thoughtfully; it was a good point. They could have been at the fair for almost an hour by now if she hadn't promised Rumple she wouldn't use her magic unsupervised. He had made her swear for her own safety, that she would resign her magic to his lessons only, at least until she had gained more control over it.

"You know why," she reminded him, "And besides, we could hardly appear in the middle of a crowded carnival in a puff of purple smoke without drawing attention to ourselves!"

Bae shrugged broodily.

Regina groaned. This was _not _going as planned. Then she had an idea. "How about this," she bargained, taking his hand once again and leading him along the path to the village, "If we run the rest of the way, I'll buy you the biggest stick of cotton candy we can find?"

At that, the boy's eyes lit up with renewed vigour and he yanked his hand free."Race ya!" he called back. He was off and running before Regina had even managed to pull up her petticoat.

* * *

It wasn't until she wandered deep into the crowds that Emma appreciated the sheer number of people who had turned out for fried foods and a thrill or two. Now clothed in a simple white cotton dress that reached her knees and was embroidered with sky blue flowers, she pulled the straw sunhat she had exchanged for her tiara, down around the back of her head, hoping to hide the rest of her golden hair that she had piled into a messy bun, a solid giveaway to who she was, under it. It wasn't the _best_ disguise, but she hoped it would do for the day to keep her from getting mauled by villagers wanting her help. She didn't want to fuss with royal duties. Tomorrow, she would, but today was reserved for fun.

Everywhere she looked there were gleeful children running from booth to booth as they played various silly games and adults laid down their hard earned coins in exchange for special prizes. The noise was almost deafening and she hadn't a chance of finding Regina like this. Spotting a small staged area, Emma shouldered her way through the hoards and stepped up to look over the head's of her subjects. She squinted in the slanting sunlight, desperate for a glimpse of the young woman she'd only just met and yet whose face she remembered as though it were her own.

After several minutes and with no sign of the alluring brunette, she rejoined the sea of carnival goers and travelled with the tide back to the entrance, her heart pounding with the fear of rejection. She hated to think that Regina might be yet another person who only wanted her friendship because of her high status. She bit her lip and blinked back tears as her fingers once again trailed over the smooth surface of the swan pendant.

Just as she was about to give up and head back towards her parents, an unknown force knocked the princess sideways and he fell right into a pile of grain sacks that were holding up a colorfully painted wooden cutout of a clown standing next to a trapeze artist. Holes were left where the faces should have been, so incoming guest could have a turn at getting whipped cream pies aimed at their faces when they stood behind the fixture.

"Oh!" yelped a voice as its owner rushed forwards in a haze of purple fabric to help Emma up. Hands were brushing away the dust from her slender arms and as the princess regained an upright position. She was thrilled to recognize the sheepish expression of Regina, accompanied by a small boy whom she presumed to be Baelfire.

"Emma! It's you! I'm so sorry, Bae was running... we wanted to find you… scared you had gone… " the brunette babbled. She was attempting in vain to catch her breath and her cheeks were pinkened both from her recent sprint and current embarrassment. She nervously searched Emma's face for any trace of anger or upset, but was relieved when the princess smirked in amusement.

"Well, you sure know how to make an entrance," she joked, "But that's a good thing. Otherwise I don't know if I ever could have spotted you in the midst of all these people."

The brunette flushed, "Yes, well, we would've been here sooner if Bae hadn't dawdled so much."

"Hey!" her brother protested. He was a few paces behind her, still panting from the run, "Are you forgetting how I had to drag you out of bed? Or how you spent half an hour freaking out because you said you had 'nothing to wear'?"

"Baelfire!" she hissed before turning back to Emma. Her eyes narrowed further when she saw the princess' smirk as she attempted to hide an adorable snorting giggle behind her palm.

"What?" Regina demanded, swatting the blonde playfully on the arm and admiring the way the early morning sun glinted off her aurelin curls as they billowed back and forth in the light spring breeze.

"You should know better than anyone that little brothers can't keep secrets."

"And how would you know that? You said you didn't have any siblings; how do you know he's not lying?" Her eyes silently begged Bae to play along so she could reclaim at least some of her dignity.

"Call it...a gift." Emma's eyes sparkled. "I can catch almost anybody in a lie.

"Is that so?" the brunette raised a skeptical brow.

"Mmm…" the princess affirmed as she bit her lip to keep from laughing again, "Of course... the fact that your cheeks turned the color of ripe beets the minute your brother started talking, well, that helps too."

Regina's hands flew to her cheeks while Bae burst out laughing.

"She's got you there, Regina."

"Oh shush!"

"What? She does."

Emma chuckled and Regina huffed irritably, "Just come over and say hello, you little imp."

Bae shot his sister a quick, smug look as he ambled over to the princess and held out his hand. "Hi...er Your Highness, I'm Baelfire, but my friends call me Bae."

Emma smiled and grasped the younger boys hand, pleasantly surprised by his firm grip. "It's nice to meet you Bae. And you can call me Emma."

"Ok, Your- um, Emma." he replied, finding he liked the oddity of such an informal way to address a royal. Of course, he'd never thought of Regina that way, but _she _had been invading his house. Speaking of Regina… "Can we go get cotton candy now?" he pleaded, giving her his best puppy dog eyes and tugging her toward the sweet scent of the colored spun sugar mixed with the poignant spices of griddle cakes.

Regina rolled her eyes at Emma in indulgence and mouthed 'I'm sorry,' but the girl simply shrugged.

"I could eat," she smiled, "Let's go."

Regina grinned broadly.

* * *

Joining the end of a long line which snaked around the edge of the carnival grounds, it was clear that the cotton candy stall was easily the most popular attraction. There were small children pulling on coat tails and tearful in the knowledge that they would have to wait. The sun beat down on the trio's heads, tiny beads of sweat forming at their hairlines and it was a relief as they moved slowly forwards and into the sporadic shade of various tall structures. Thankfully the young women were in good spirits and there was plenty to talk about, even with Bae sighing dramatically every few minutes as he looked down the seemingly endless line.

Almost fifty minutes later, the small shack was finally in sight and Regina could see the poor man standing over a basin and spinning with such speed, she was surprised his arm hadn't fallen off.

"Not much longer now, Bae," she encouraged with a smile, but the boy wasn't listening. His ears were firmly tuned in to the conversation of the little blonde girl and her father, who were standing just in front of him in the queue. Bae's eyes were narrowed in concentration as he filtered out the rest of the carnival to hear what they were saying, and followed the girl's eyes which were fixed on a pair of women who were walking away from the stall clutching something fried and covered with a mound of powdered sugar.

"Oh, Papa! Could we get a funnel cake instead? Please?" the girl asked, fixing him with an innocent, wide eyed gaze.

Observing his conflicted features, Bae watched as her father gave her the reply wincing as he did so, clearly hating to disappoint his little girl, "I'm sorry Gracie, we can't. It's just too expensive and we don't have the money to waste, you know that sweetheart." He put a hand on her shoulders, which slumped in disappointment, although she kept up a pretend smile so as not to show it. Bae longed to buy her a funnel cake but his father had only given him a few coins and they wouldn't stretch as far as that.

Giggling helplessly as a result of Emma's most recent joke, Regina turned back towards her brother and followed his gaze, wondering what had caused his deflated expression.

"You alright?" she muttered out of the princess' earshot, sobering up instantly. Bae shrugged, unsure of whether to let his sister know what he had just witnessed. His feet shuffled about on the dirt floor, sending small stones skipping off in all directions. "Bae," Regina continued, "What is it?"

He whispered so softly she could hardly hear him over the din of the carnival. "That girl, the one in front of us," he tilted his head in her direction to point her out, "she wants a funnel cake." Regina's eyebrows knitted in confusion until the boy went on, "She asked her Papa but he said no because he can't afford it and she looked so sad. I would buy one for her but Papa only gave me enough for my cotton candy and a few games."

Regina smiled softly; he was a good kid. She reached into her small, leather purse and counted out several coins before affording Bae a wink and walking up to the man in front of her.

"Hi! I'm Regina. I hope you don't mind, but my brother here," she pulled Bae forwards, thrusting him before the little girl, "he heard you talking and he wanted to buy your daughter a funnel cake."

The older man looked aghast, but beside him, his daughter's jade green eyes sparkled to life. Bae smiled shyly at her and looked down at his feets, shuffling them in embarrassment.

"Oh, but we couldn't possibly impose," the girl's father stuttered. He wanted so much to give his daughter a treat, but accepting money from strangers like a poor beggar? That just wouldn't be right.

Regina winced as she noticed both her brother's and the little girl's faces fall at his words. "Please sir," she smiled, determined to try again just to see the smile back on Bae' face, "I was going to buy one for my brother anyway, and he can't possibly eat the whole thing; they're so rich. He would be sick as a dog if I let him do that. But perhaps...if the children shared one…" She winked and Bae as he and Grace exchanged another hopefully look.

"Really, miss, er, Regina, you don't have t-" the man protested again. But Regina pretended not to hear him and promptly laid the coins down on the counter.

"Two funnel cakes please," she grinned sweetly at the man behind the counter, thinking she could order an extra and share with Emma. She hadn't had one since she was Bae's age, and the spicy smell of cinnamon sugar was just too enticing to pass up.

Grace let out an excited squeal as the brunette handed her the piping hot pastry, "Oh, thank you, Miss Regina!" She threw her arms around the older girl, careful to keep the sticky pastry away from her dress.

The former princess smiled. "It was no trouble. Just try not to eat it all at once, ok? Otherwise you'll get a stomach ache."

"Ok, the little girl chirped, before grabbing Bae's hand and pulling him over to a nearby bench so they could enjoy their treat.

Grace's father watched them fondly before turning back to Regina, "I… I don't know what to say," he stuttered, fumbling in his pockets," here, let me give you what I have."

Regina pushed his hand away gently, closing his finger's back around the coppers. "Really, it was the least I could do."

"Well you've made my little girl very happy, thank you. If there's ever anything I can ever do for you..."

The brunette shrugged, "It was nothing, Mr…"

"Hatter. Jefferson Hatter." He held out his hand.

"Well it was a pleasure to meet you Mr Hatter," Regina replied, shaking it. "And please, it was my pleasure to treat your daughter," she smiled.

"Well, er, thank you, again. I haven't seen her eyes light up like that in a long time," he sighed wistfully.

Regina chuckled.

"What?" asked the milliner, clearly baffled.

"I don't think it was the pastry that made your daughter so excitable," she grinned slyly and pointed a finger toward the bench where Grace and Bae were laughing as they playfully smeared powdered sugar on each other. Regina raised a pointed brow at the milliner, whose eyes glinted with happiness, before turning back to Emma, whose lips were now covered in white powder. Her cheeks turned rosy and, realizing she was being watched, she lowered the cake and offered it to Regina.

"There's some left," she assured the brunette, holding it out for Regina to take a bite.

The warm spice of the cinnamon combined with the sweet stickiness of honey and sugar on top of the soft, fluffy dough immediately transported Regina back to one of the few happy times in her childhood. She had been only a bit older than Bae was now, and her father had taken her to the circus for the first time. It was there, sitting in the crowded audience of the performance tent and munching on the indulgent treat that her mother was never to know she had eaten, that Regina discovered her love of horses. They pranced around the ring like proud royals, confidently carrying graceful trick riders atop their backs, barely phased by the hoards of eyes on them as they leaped into the air, seeming to fly for the briefest of moments before landing flawlessly back on the ground, all the while keeping their ears and muscles trained to the movements of their two legged companion as the riders performed amazing feats upon their backs. The ease with which horse and human had connected had enthralled Regina, and the next day, she had begged her father to let her learn for herself, And she'd loved it ever since.

"Mmm…." the former princess sighed in bliss as she licked the powdered sugar from her lip, "This is _so _good!"

Emma laughed merrily, "I think I found your weakness," she teased, taking the pastry back and breaking off another piece to pop in her mouth.

"Hey!" Regina protested, "You already ate more than your share, little miss sticky fingers, the rest is mine." She snatched back the pastry and stuffed the little bit that remained in her mouth, puffing out her cheeks like a chipmunk and grinning cheekily.

Emma howled with laughter, "You look like a chipmunk!"

"At least I'm not the cat who ate the canary," Regina retorted with a smirk as she swallowed the last of the sweet and spicey dough.

"Okay, okay!" Emma swiped the wrapper from Regina and held her hands up in surrender, "I deserved that."

"Yes," Regina giggled, snatching the wrapper back and tossing it away, "you did."


End file.
